European Stars And Stripes (Newspaper) - September 17, 1980, Darmstadt, Hesse Hospital volunteers wednesday. September 17, 19bo the stars and stripes Page 9 helping those who feel lost alone Story and photo by Gail staff writer lands Uhi. Germany is Linda Chase works with people who visit the 2nd general Hospital Here. They re not patients and they re usually Here for Only a Short time. But they often experience As much emotional grief As a patient would and their stay Here some times seems like a lifetime to them. These visitors Are family members of seriously ill patients at the Hospital. Chase has been working with family members for about a year and although she does t get paid for her work she enjoys it. I Sec these people come Here depressed and upset. They have needs to be filled and when i can help them fill those needs and see a spark of life come into them i be earned my pay said Chase. Sic i one of nine volunteers with the visiting families commuted. Sponsored by 29th area support group s army Community service acs the co Milice was established a Little More than a year ago to assist family members of seriously ill patients at the Hospital Here. We have patients admitted to the hos Pital from throughout Europe said Blu Lah Prather another committee Volunteer. Many times their families arc brought Here from the states and other areas of Europe. Because of their reason for being Here we feel these family members May be lost and Aluinc at Lan Stuhl she said. Barbara a Catherwood the committee s supervisor added that special consideration is Given to these families. Many times these family members experience a cultural Shock especially those coming from the states. They re thrown into a different environment for the firs time in their lives a Catherwood said. And because a close member of their family is seriously ill they re afraid and bewildered. We try to alleviate their fear help from a Friend Chase helps the relative of a a Licul at 2nd general Hospital in ilium select clothing she Mill need for her slay in Europe. Sine volunteers Are on Call around the clock la provide a Raric to of Aid for people who Are in Europe to visit seriously ill members of their families. And make them besides providing Friendly support the committee gives family members information about the Community. We do everything we can to make their visit As pleasant As possible said Prather. For example she said an extended stay in the boy May mean the for items from acs s loan closet additional clothing from the Thrift shop care of Small children or a number of other things de pending on the individual family families arc referred to the committee by the red Cross chaplains acs and head nurses at the Hospital. Our work does t begin until the family members arc actually Here and we get the said Leatherwood. Then we re on Call around the committee volunteers arc Given an in tense four part training program which includes an acs Community orientation a session on death and the emotional processes of grief Given by the chaplain s of fice communication skills training con ducted by the human resource Center and a walk through orientation of the hos Pital and its facilities. Since it was established the committee has handled More than 60 cases. About 75 percent of them have been families from the Volunteer s Case Load varies from week to week and depending on the family s needs so docs the number of hours a week. According to Carol Richburg acs director Here the visiting families Commil ice is an important part of the acs pro Gram. Acs centers adapt their programs to their Community s particular Sci the visiting families committee serves a need unique to this Community because of the Sie and comply Lily of the Hospital we service As Long As acs is Here the committee will be this Job s a pane and fakes Paf ends a window Washer gets started on the first of Many windows at the air Force Hospital in Wiesbaden Germany. I he does t look Down Ibe Balcony at the Miles of windows to go he might even whistle while he wipes. Is Bob Crockett
