They accompany dying people on their last journey on a voluntary basis: the Starnberg hospice helpers have started their service - thanks to the initiative of the Seestern association.
Starnberg - That happened quickly: In March, the Seestern association, which supports outpatient nursing in Tutzing and the Starnberg Caritas Association, wanted its own hospice service for the district town.
A local group with six volunteer hospice helpers was founded these days.
They visit seriously ill and dying people at home, in hospitals and nursing homes, they provide mental support and relieve the burden on caring relatives.
Seestern cashier and source of ideas Evelyn Brunner emphasizes: “The death companions ensure that death loses its horror.
They sometimes come across things that loved ones would never think of.” Burdens or memories that people want to make peace with before they leave.
Jörg Mack from Hanfeld is the group leader of the hospice helpers.
Most recently, he got to know the first person he will accompany on his last journey.
He will visit the family every Friday, calm them down when they have worries and fears, monitor their relatives or simply listen.
He's there when the others need to get some fresh air to clear their heads.
Many hospice workers have lost relatives themselves, experienced cuts that made them think.
Mack, 56, has had to say goodbye to both parents in recent years.
“Death is then closer in your head,” he says.
But he explains his drive differently: "I'm doing well personally and materially, the children are grown up, I'm professionally sedentary.
I want to give something back from the good life.”
Preparation for voluntary work: 100 theory and 40 practical hours
The Starnberg local group, which also includes experienced people from Tutzing and Feldafing, has joined the hospice association in Pfaffenwinkel based in Polling near Weilheim.
The operations are coordinated from there – including the 24-hour on-call service.
It is very important to the motivated volunteers that they do not provide euthanasia, but accompany people in the last phase of their lives.
They have prepared for it in 100 theory and 40 practical hours.
Jörg Mack describes the time in the Pfaffenwinkel inpatient hospice in the Heilig Kreuz monastery in Polling as “touching.
I grew as a person in the process,” says the Hanfelder.
At first he was still afraid of contact, but now he feels ready to make the end of their lives as pleasant as possible for people from Starnberg.
The hospice association in Pfaffenwinkel accompanied a total of 50 people in Starnberg in 2021.
In 2019, before Corona, there were 71. Now there are more and the group is to be expanded.
The new training course will start in spring 2023.
The contact person for relatives
The hospice attendants can be reached via the hospice association in Pfaffenwinkel.
Relatives can contact the coordinator, Sister Angela Kirchensteiner: on (08 81) 925 84 90 or by e-mail to sr.angela@hospizverein-pfaffenwinkel.de.
The seat of the Starnberg local group is the Ilse-Kubascheski-Haus (Hanfelder Str. 10)
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By the way: Everything from the region is now also available in our regular Starnberg newsletter.
You can find more current news from the district of Starnberg at Merkur.de/Starnberg.
