Partners Hospice Volunteer Honored for Overwhelming Care and Compassion

Waltham, MA- Partners Hospice is pleased to announce that volunteer Margaret Williams-Decelles of Wellesley has won the National Hospice and Palliative Care Organization’s (NHPCO) 2010 “Volunteers are the Foundation of Hospice Award: Patient/Family Support.” This national award recognizes hospice volunteers “who have made a notable impact by significantly and positively influencing the quality of life of patients and families for whom they've cared.”

Ms. Williams-Decelles has been a hospice volunteer for over ten years and for over half of that time has acted as the After-Hours Vigil Coordinator. Through sitting vigil, volunteers offer a supportive, comforting presence for an actively dying patient, so the patient is not alone in their final hours. While Ms. Williams-Decelles coordinates volunteers with requests for vigil support, she frequently provides vigil support herself whenever possible, many times during early-morning or late-night gaps in coverage, when a patient might otherwise be alone.

"I was honored to accept this award on behalf of the dedicated vigil volunteers at Partners Hospice. Many of us have been working as a team for 10 years and we are privileged to provide comfort and dignity for patients in the final hours of life and especially for anyone who might die alone," said Ms. Williams-Decelles.

The Partners Hospice volunteer department consistently hears from families, fellow volunteers, hospice and nursing facility staff in praise of Ms. Williams-Decelles. Recently, a nurse in a long-term care facility called Partners Hospice to commend Ms. Williams-Decelles’ wonderful care and compassion. “Although I knew about hospice prior to this, I have never before witnessed the kind of support Margaret offered to the patient and family. I am in awe of the huge difference it made to everyone involved,” said the nurse.

"Margaret has the rare ability to blend a reassuring, calming presence with a professionalism that is unwavering. Her devotion to our patients has made her an invaluable asset to Partners Hospice and a mentor to our volunteer team. We are so very proud to count Margaret as one of our own," said Rebecca Wendler, volunteer manager for Partners Hospice.

Ms. Williams-Decelles has had a lifelong commitment to community service, serving as the President of the Board of Directors of Boston’s Project STEP (String Training and Educational Program) from 2004 and 2007. She received her bachelor’s degree in Latin from Wake Forest University and has devoted thirty years to a career in sales and marketing in the publishing field. She lives in Wellesley with her husband and daughter.

Ms. Williams-Decelles accepted the award on September 14th at the NHPCO’s 11th Clinical Team Conference in Atlanta, GA. She and just two other volunteers nationally were honored for making an extraordinary commitment to hospice.

For more information about the NHPCO and the award: http://www.nhpco.org/i4a/pages/index.cfm?pageID=3686