Rotorua Community Hospice in need of biographers to share life stories

Rotorua Community Hospice volunteer services manager Sue Gunn is looking for volunteer biographers to record patients' life stories. Photo / Stephen Parker

Everybody has a story to tell and Rotorua Community Hospice is looking for volunteers to help share the life stories of patients with life-limiting illnesses.

Volunteer services manager Sue Gunn said volunteer biographers were required to help patients record their memoirs, a service which had a therapeutic effect on the patient and helped preserve their memories for their loved ones.

"We are looking for volunteers who have very good computer skills and have an interest in biography and recording oral histories of patients with life-limiting illnesses.

"The main benefit for the patient is it's quite therapeutic for them to be able to reflect on their life and tell their stories. They might have photographs, poems, medals, things like that they want to include.

"I think it's a good thing for people to do and having a biographer who's asking questions that will prompt a lot of their memories will help people look at what they've achieved and what they've given back to their communities and their families."

The service allowed the families of the Hospice patients involved to celebrate their loved ones' lives and, in some cases, learn things they did not know about them.

"It's something that can be passed on for generations and grandchildren would have a greater understanding of what life was like for granddad, grandma or an aunty or uncle, whoever it might be," Gunn said.

Rotorua Community Hospice will provide full training to volunteers. The biography service is free of charge to patients, however there is a cost for printing the life story which will depend on the number of pages and copies.

"The biographers need to have good communication skills, particularly listening skills, be non-judgmental and able to exercise a lot of diplomacy. They have to be able to use some common sense and have self awareness.

"I think for the biographer it is an absolute privilege to be able to sit with the person and hear about their whole life story. Even if they were people they've known, they will learn a lot, not just about that person, but also their local history."

For more information email volunteers@rotoruahospice.co.nz or call Gunn on (07) 343 6608.

Rotorua Community Hospice is looking for volunteer biographers with:
· Warmth and openness
· Maturity and self confidence
· Sensitivity and tolerance
· Good communications skills, particularly listening skills
· Empathy and non-judgmental
· Tact and discretion
· Common sense and self awareness

Hospice will provide full training to volunteer biographers which includes:
· Introduction to Rotorua Hospice and Palliative Care
· Service outline and Biographer Guidelines covering criteria, scope and boundary issues
· Patient needs and the role of the volunteer
· Ethical issues, diplomacy and communications, particularly listening skills
· Interviewing techniques and writing styles
· Transcribing, editing and proofreading
· Presentation and layout of printed life reviews