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Death has become 'a part of life for me'

LAKE GENEVA — Harriett Alberth isn't afraid of death.

Not after caring for her husband for many years until he passed away.

Not after comforting dozens of men and women as they've faced their own mortality.

Not even as she prepares to move to the nursing home she frequently visits to spend time with patients who are nearing the ends of their lives.

"For some people, death is a scary thing," she said. "Well, it isn't for me. I've seen so many people go … and now it's just a part of life for me."

Alberth, 92, of Walworth is a volunteer for the Aurora Visiting Nurse Association, spending time a couple days a week with hospice patients in Walworth County.

In more than a decade of volunteering, she's logged more than 1,800 hours and more than 6,000 miles.

"The thing to do is listen and let them talk," she said. "They will tell you things about their lives, about their families. They like to (talk)—at least I think they like to."

Alberth said spending time with hospice patients is a rewarding experience.

"It makes me feel better—much better," she said.

Mary Stenzel, volunteer coordinator for the nurse association, said Alberth is a model of the valuable service hospice volunteers provide to the community.

"She doesn't even realize how much she has meant to our program," she said. "It's just part of who she is and what she does."

The program has more than 100 volunteers who log more than 6,000 hours each year, Stenzel said. But the program is growing, and more volunteers are needed, she said.

In recent years, the average number of hospice patients served has more than doubled, she said, and of the 70-some patients being cared for this year, more than half request the help of volunteers.

"The more people we have, the better able we are to provide services," Stenzel said.

Hospice volunteers spend time with patients—chatting, playing cards or just staying by their sides. Volunteers provide relief for full-time caregivers so they can go to appointments, run errands or sleep without worrying about their loved one.

People who might be uncomfortable working with patients and their families can help out in the office or with special events and projects, such as sewing personalized teddy bears made from a patient's favorite piece of clothing.

Stenzel said a volunteer's commitment is flexible based on his or her interests and availability.

"They don't need experience. They can come from any background, and it certainly doesn't have to be medical," she said. "All they need is a sense of compassion."

Volunteers must be at least 18 years old, have their own transportation and complete a training program.

Alberth said anyone who has even a slight interest in becoming a hospice volunteer should give it a try.

"They shouldn't be afraid to help people," she said.

Stenzel said volunteering is "an amazing experience."

"I can't tell you how many times people tell me they get so much more out of it than they put in," she said. "It's a very rewarding program, and it's because they know they're providing a really important, really needed service."