– It is unfortunate if there are some who do not know about our services, and therefore we are very grateful for the support from the Sol og Strand foundation. The funds will help ensure that we spread awareness of Kamillus Jammerbugt through our website, says the association's chairperson, Bente Ågren Jensen.

The association offers both vigil services and a visiting friends arrangement in both nursing homes and private homes.

– When one agrees to care for their incurably ill relative at home, they often do not know what it entails. Here we find that sending a visitor into the home can make a significant difference by providing relief and ensuring distraction and presence for the sick person, says Bente Ågren Jensen.

– We had a couple where the woman was still in the workforce while also taking care of her incurably ill husband, who was struggling. She contacted us, and we found a visiting friend who, in our assessment, would match the man. It turned out to be the case, and once a week they went on an outing that the man was tasked with planning. This way, content was created in a heavy everyday life, and the wife felt less alone.

The attitude at Kamillus Jammerbugt is that no one should die alone, and the vigil service can step in if there is a dying person who has no relatives.

– Similarly, we can relieve the relative of a dying person, thus giving them a break and ensuring, for example, that the relative can get a full night's sleep, knowing that someone is sitting with the dying person, says Bente Ågren Jensen.

She has previously been a nurse at Brovst Hospital, and when it closed, she was employed as a nurse in the municipal home care. As a professional, she experienced how it could affect being a relative of someone seriously ill. Together with two other women, she initiated the establishment of Kamillus Jammerbugt in 2012, where today there are 11 volunteers associated, and she hopes that more will sign up as volunteers.

– We do not require a specific education, as we are not here to take over tasks from professionals. The most important thing is that you are a present person who has empathy for others. Additionally, one must go through an acceptance interview, and thereafter there is an introductory program, she says, adding that it is incredibly meaningful to be a volunteer.

– Unless one wishes it themselves, no one should die alone – it is not dignified. I feel that we can help make a difference, and personally, I want to lend a hand and ease a difficult situation, says Bente Ågren Jensen.

In North Jutland, there are five Kamillus associations: Aalborg, Frederikshavn, Brønderslev, Hjørring, and Jammerbugt.