Maria Coronado exemplifies the spirit of volunteering at Solari Hospice
During National Volunteer Week, April 15-21, Maria Coronado will exemplify the volunteer spirit that makes Houston Solari Hospice Care a special place for all its residents.
“Houston Solari Hospice Care wants to applaud the efforts of our many dedicated volunteers this week and to especially recognize one of our newest team members, Houston resident Maria Coronado, who recently became a volunteer at our inpatient home,” Dana Reeder, volunteer coordinator, said. “When Maria Coronado sits at the bedside of a patient at Houston Solari Hospice Care’s inpatient home, she knows exactly what to say and do. That’s because just a few months ago, Maria’s 99-year-old mother, Frances Coronado, was a hospice patient with Solari.”
After personally seeing the tender services offered by Houston Solari Hospice Care, Coronado felt the need to give back.
“Having first-hand experience is so important, because I've walked in the caregiver’s shoes,” Coronado said. “I truly understand the hospice process and what it’s like to receive this help. It’s wonderful to be able to connect with patients and make them comfortable.”
Volunteers often bring certain skills that help them excel at providing comfort to patients. This was the case with Coronado, who is fluent in both English and Spanish.
“I was talking with a gentleman recently who was in the advanced stages of dementia, but he brightened a bit when I started speaking his native Spanish language,” Coronado said. “That’s one skill I have where I feel like I can make a unique difference."
Coronado notes that Houston Solari Hospice Care provided her mother with medications to keep her comfortable, aides to help bathe her, caregivers to provide comfort, and a variety of equipment including a hospital bed, a special adaptive chair, and a table on wheels that made it easier for her mother to eat in bed.
“Looking back, I don’t think I could have made it without their help,” Coronado added. “It gave me a lifeline that I so desperately needed. Having hospice involved made everything so much easier. Now, I can be part of helping other families deal with their loss and grief.”
At Houston Solari Hospice Care, volunteers perform a variety of duties, including sharing a favorite hobby (such as reading or playing music), doing light chores, running errands or simply providing friendly companionship. Volunteers are also needed to assist with receptionist and other clerical duties at Houston Solari Hospice Care’s administrative offices at 6800 W. Loop South in Bellaire.
To learn more about Houston Solari Hospice Care’s Volunteer Program, contact Dana Reeder, volunteer coordinator, at 713-664-7120. For more information about Houston Solari Hospice Care, please visit www.solarihospice.com or follow @SolariHospice on Twitter or Facebook.
About Houston Solari Hospice Care
Houston Solari Hospice Care is devoted to helping people live with dignity and comfort by providing trusted and professional hospice care in the Houston community. Focused on enhancing the quality of life for patients and their loved ones, Solari's exemplary team of physicians, pharmacists, registered nurses, certified nursing aides, administrative staff and bereavement counselors are specially trained to offer the most compassionate and comforting care designed for each patient's unique individual needs.
