New hospice volunteer Astrid Soerensen says it is a privilege to be invited into someone's home when they have a family member dying.
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"To be able to make a difference in someone's life feels good to be able to do something," the 21-year-old tertiary student said.
"There is no set rule on how we work because it is different working with each family.
"Really it is about listening and being the person who is OK talking about death.
"We are not there to make the sun shine, we are there to relieve (the family) and help people on their path.
"I want to get better dealing with death, my grandparents are getting older and I know I am going to have to confront family members' deaths at some point."
Warrnambool and District Community Hospice manager Lu Butler said it was important for volunteers to be available to have conversations about death with people as they often couldn't share those with their family members.
"Our volunteers give people a chance to stay at home in their final year of life," Ms Butler said.
"We are hoping to train a new group of volunteers in Camperdown, ideally we will start training on the March 24."
"Currently we have a small group of six volunteers down in Camperdown, but we would like to double the size of the group."
"The need for hospice care is definitely growing, especially in remote areas where you have people on farms.
"We are there to help fill the gap for carers."
Ms Butler said demand for the hospice service is growing.
"People have become more aware of what's available," she said.
"They are learning palliative care is not just about the last days of life, people understand we can be called in earlier.
"We are getting close to 50 per cent of the people we care for are able to die at home, and certainly all of the people we are involved with say they are able to stay at home longer.
"It is very much our motto that we want you to be able to live well until you die."
Marie Deans, another recently trained hospice volunteer, said she would have loved to have a hospice service available to help while her husband was dying.
"I looked after my husband while he had terminal cancer, when we were up at the Gold Coast," she said.
"I had worked in aged care as a nurse for 23 years but it really didn't make it any easier.
"It was very hard emotionally and physically, it would have been great to have a hospice up there to help give me a break.
"It is very difficult amongst the family knowing the person is going to pass.
"When I had a chance to come back to Warrnambool I knew I would volunteer to help (at hospice).
"It's great for someone to have support to pass away in their own home, in their own bed amongst things that are familiar to them."
People wanting to volunteer with Warrnambool and District Hospice Service should go to the group's website, visit the Facebook page or call 5563 3220.
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