In light of COVID-19, Desert Valley Hospice has developed a Wellness Call Check-In Program. The intent of this program is to connect senior residents at care facilities with a trained Hospice Volunteer for weekly or bi-weekly calls to maintain connection, audio-socialization and wellness. Volunteers will establish a connection and provide information, assurances, information on other services we may offer, such as Grief Support, Advanced Care Planning and Nav-CARE. Every Volunteer has a copy of our current Community Resource Booklet so they may answer questions and provide contact telephone numbers and websites. Our Hospice Volunteers have training in Communication (Listening, Reflection of Feelings, Empathy), and Bereavement. Many hospice volunteers want to help and this program facilitates that without physical contact.

As we stand together in solidarity—one global community—to slow the spread of COVID-19, it’s inevitable to experience fear, anxiety, and stress. We’re feeling it, too. The Governments’ temporary measures of mandating cancelling or postponing mass gatherings of more than 50 people have forced DVHS to cancel three of our four major fundraising events for this year: Hootenanny for Hospice on March 14th, Burger n’ Burger Fundraiser on April 4th, and the 14th annual Hike for Hospice on May 2nd. The Hike is a Canadian national event to honor Palliative Care Week. As a very small organization in small communities, we rely on our fundraising events to operate. With your support and donation of whatever you can allocate to our society, DVHS will succeed.