Individuals interested in making a lasting difference in the lives of others are being sought by Androscoggin Home Care & Hospice to become Hospice Volunteers for terminally ill patients or Bereavement Volunteers for grieving loved ones. Training classes will be offered in June.

Hospice Volunteer training is a 27-hour course that will be held on Mondays and Thursdays over 31?2 days beginning June 8 at AHCH’s Lewiston Office, located at 15 Strawberry Ave. Classes are scheduled from 8:30 a.m. to 5 p.m. June 8, 11, and 15, and from 8:30 to 11:30 a.m. on June 18. Participants will discover the world of hospice and how to support terminally ill patients and their families through discussion, guest speakers, and skill-strengthening activities. The course explores a range of topics including hospice philosophy, pain management, communication, spirituality, grief and bereavement, and the role of hospice volunteers.

Bereavement Volunteer training is a 15-hour course that begins Tuesday, June 11, from 2:30 to 5:30 p.m. and is held on Tuesdays and Thursdays through June 25 at AHCH’s Lewiston Office located on 15 Strawberry Ave. The course prepares volunteers to provide grief support, including one-to-one visits and telephone support, for loved ones and family members in the year following the death of a hospice patient.

AHCH is a nonprofit Medicare-certified agency that annually provides comprehensive hospice care to more than 1,200 residents of central and western Maine through its local offices in Lewiston, Bridgton, Dixfield, Oxford, and Wilton. For more information on AHCH, visit our website at www.AHCH.org.