Otago Community Hospice is seeking volunteers from the Central Otago area to join its patient ‘biography service’.  

The service gives patients the opportunity to tell their story, reflect on important parts of their lives and have it recorded.  

This reflection can be very beneficial for the patient and their families, who often appreciate having the experiences and memories of their loved one written down and printed in a small booklet, volunteer coordinator Rebecca Shaw told the Wānaka App. 

The team of volunteers who are involved with the biography service work with clinical staff and patients and whānau.

“Each biography requires an interviewer, a transcriber and a compiler - and our volunteers do one, two or all three of these roles. The time commitment is based upon the demand for the service and the roles taken, with each biography taking a couple of hours a week over 4-6 weeks. 

“This volunteer role can be incredibly rewarding - making a very real difference to patients’ and families’ experiences nearing the end of life,” Rebecca said.

Otago Community Hospice is holding an information session for potential biographer volunteers on Saturday September 30 1pm-4pm in Cromwell. 

Interested people should contact Rebecca on [email protected] to book a place.  

From this session people will be able to apply to attend training days on Saturday October 14 and Sunday October 15 (also held in Cromwell). 

The Otago Community Hospice covers the wider Central Otago area, except for Queenstown, which sits under Southland Hospice.

PHOTO: Supplied