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Do you have a gift for caring?

 

Become a Hospice Volunteer

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What Is a Hospice Volunteer?

 

Hospice volunteers are vital members of our hospice team.

Volunteers contribute their time and compassion to enhance patients’ end of life comfort

and to provide loved ones with the additional support they need.

 

How can you give the gift of caring?

 

Direct care volunteers can provide support and comfort to patients and families in many ways. Common areas where direct care volunteers can provide assistance are:

 

  • Preparing meals for patients and families

  • Assisting in light household chores

  • Sitting with patients to provide companionship and a comforting presence

  • Playing music for patients to provide a soothing and joyful atmosphere

 

If you choose to become a patient care volunteer, you are most likely to spend a majority of your day with hospice patients. You may be expected to travel to a destination where a patient lives – this could be their home, long term care.

 

For volunteers who prefer not to work with patients directly, their time and effort can be in assisting with administrative and general office tasks.

 

If you have previous experience in administrative work, this would be a great choice for you.

 

Common tasks where indirect care volunteers provide assistance are:

 

  • Helping prepare mailings and newsletters for community outreach

  • Assisting in general data entry tasks and other clerical duties

  • Helping in preparations and setup for special community events and outings

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Whether opting to be directly or indirectly involved with patient and family care, hospice volunteers are able to use their unique talents and skill sets to support hospice and provide patients and loved ones with a more comfortable end-of-life experience.

 

Volunteers in hospice may find it personally gratifying, intellectually stimulating, and emotionally meaningful to assist those in need at such a critical point in their lives.

 

Volunteers are important members of the interdisciplinary team. They are specially trained to provide comfort to patients and families during the final stages of life.

 

Hospice Volunteer Training

 

Before beginning volunteer service, hospice volunteers are provided with training.

 

This training prepares volunteers for the administrative services they may perform for the hospice, or the ways in which they will be directly assisting patients, caregivers, and families.

 

Volunteer training includes:
 

  • Understanding the hospice philosophy of care

  • How to know boundaries as a volunteer when interacting with patients and families

  • An overview of the spiritual, emotional, and physical needs of a patient and the patient’s family during the end-of-life journey

  • Understanding the services offered by hospice

  • How to communicate with patients, their families, and friends

  • How to assist patients and families with grief, loss, and bereavementUnderstanding patient and health information privacy

 

Benefits:

The benefit of engaging in this type of community service is that you’re making a difference where you live.  You’re giving back, and you’re helping others.  Helping others promotes satisfaction and self-worth.  Plus, it’s good for your health—mind, body, and spirit.

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Allan Luks states in The Healing Power of Doing Good,  "volunteering improves your sense of well-being, decreases insomnia, builds a stronger immune system, and helps speed up recovery from surgery."

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For others, enhancing your college or job application is a benefit of becoming a hospice volunteer.  Volunteer service always reflects positively when a college or organization evaluates your resume.  A study by Time Bank states 73% or employers would recruit a candidate with volunteer experience over one without.

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Finally, meeting new people is a benefit of becoming a hospice volunteer.  Helping at events, greeting guests at our inpatient hospice centers, and meeting other volunteers expands your social and professional networks to include more like-minded people.  Meeting new friends creates more fun in your life, which also improves your health.

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Zephyr Hospice also offers:
 

Ongoing educational opportunities

Recognition of service: i.e., Gift Cards, Movie Tickets

Mileage reimbursement 

Social Activities

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For more information contact us at:  : 
 info@zephyrhospice.com

 

Fill out our application form:  https://form.jotform.com/212076821106144

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