THE final days of one's life are precious and the team at Tweed Palliative Support (TPS) are seeking more volunteers to help them with their valuable work.

Current volunteers freely offer their time to ensure the final months, weeks or days of those facing serious life-shortening illnesses are as comfortable as possible, but recently greater demand from the Tweed community has required extra help.

“TPS provides palliative support in the home and at their respite facility, but as the Tweed Shire population continues to grow the demand on the services that TPS provides continues to increase,” Meredith Dennis, president and volunteer co-ordinator of TPS said. The non-funded organisation has supported clients and their families since 1999 and provide in-home care as well as at the Wedgetail Retreat hospice facility, located on the outskirts of Murwillumbah.

TPS helps in many ways by relieving carers so they can attend to other matters or take some time out, transporting clients to appointments, providing hands-on care, providing free loaning of equipment such as wheelchairs and electric beds and giving clients and families access to a range of support and bereavement groups.

“To maintain a quality hospice facility we really need funds for staff, main- tenance and administration as well as any volunteers that feel they could take part in the training course to become a volunteer carer,” Ms Dennis said.

To find out more about training and how you can help contact TPS on 0266728459 or email palliativesupport@bigpond.com.