Near North Palliative Care Network gets help from Nipissing nursing students

Nipissing University nursing students have partnered with the Near North Palliative Care Network to try and attract more volunteers to spend time with those facing their last weeks and days of life.

Third-year nursing students are making a public presentation Monday in hopes of convincing more volunteers to come forward.

"We are just trying to introduce what palliative care is and we want everyone to find out how much need there really is in the future and what it is to volunteer, how easy it is to become a volunteer," said nursing student Allison Coutts.

"It's not even someone who's going to pass two days from now -- it could be someone who's six months out from passing ... You're there to just help them live their life."

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Coutts added that she's learned the number of volunteers is at an all-time low right now.

"The ones who are volunteering are getting older and can't do it anymore,” she said.

“Our small communities are all older people, so who's going to look after them if they can't go to the hospital? So we need more volunteers.”

Coutts is hoping the presentation Monday will attract different ages and genders, since a wide range of volunteers makes a big difference. 

With files from CTV News North Bay video journalist Eric Taschner.