Bridge Home Health & Hospice will offer training courses for prospective volunteers in Bluffton beginning on Wednesday, May 2.

The training will be held at the town hall, located at 154 N. Main St., Bluffton, and will take place for seven consecutive Wednesdays from 1 to 4 p.m.

Courses will cover the basic principles of hospice, understanding the needs of patients and their families, effective communication, patient care, pain and symptom management, spiritual care giving and understanding grief and loss.

No previous hospice experience is necessary; however, volunteers must be at least 18 years old.

Following training, volunteers can choose their area of involvement, such as caregiver relief, bereavement, care center, nursing home visitors, speakers' bureau, gift of dreams or clerical work.

Pre-registration is required. For more information or to request an application packet, contact Julie Tiell, Bridge Hospice volunteer services coordinator, by phone at 419.423.5351, toll-free at 1.800.982.3306 or by e-mail at [email protected].