Hospice volunteers are essential members of the hospice care team, providing direct and indirect support to patients and their families. They offer companionship, practical assistance, and emotional support, helping to enhance the quality of life for individuals facing life-limiting illnesses.
Volunteers spend time with patients, offering conversation, emotional support, and a comforting presence. You can visit and read with patients, run errands, write letters, listen to music, play cards or games, take walks, assist the patient and family with projects, and give the caregiver time to get away for short periods.
Brighten someone’s day by delivering fresh flowers to patients and their families. This program is the hub around which many other volunteer interventions rotate. Volunteers arrange and deliver approximately 40-50 vases of fresh flowers on a weekly basis, as flowers are available.
Volunteers help in administrative or clerical capacities, preparing mail-outs, assisting with special projects, and participating where needed in matters not directly related to patient care. Other tasks include computer data entry, filing, front desk/reception area, and making phone calls to patient caregivers for weekend needs.
Assist with bereavement programs and educational events for families who have lost a loved one. Volunteers can be specially trained to assist in making follow-up calls to the caregiver after a patient’s death.