As a member of the Martin Health Auxiliary, Rose Lillich chairs a very special program for patients: No One Dies Alone. The program serves patients who are in their final days and without family or friends.“This is such a tender, precious time to be in someone’s life,” Lillich said. “As volunteers, we are honored to sit with our patients and provide comfort in the last two or three days of their lives.”
The volunteers work in four-hour shifts around the clock so the patient is never alone during his or her final hours.
“We provide whatever is comforting to the patient and aligns with their own spiritual beliefs,” Lillich said. This might include playing music, reading from the New Testament, or sharing a handmade prayer shawl.
Lillich is a retired nurse and hospice worker, and has volunteered with Martin Health for 16 years.
