Volunteer in Hospice
 Hospice volunteering is
a unique, challenging and rewarding experience. The most valuable
skill a hospice volunteer can have is compassion.
Offering patients and families a volunteer who can provide
care through companionship and respite is very important. Our volunteers are a vital part of
the hospice team.
Collette and Jean in the kitchen
Hospice Volunteers work
directly with patients:
-
To offer friendship
and companionship, emotional support and assistance to patients and
families; to provide respite (free time for a caregiver), run errands,
shop, or do light housework.
-
To provide their
professional talents including hair stylist, musician, massage
therapist or notary.
-
To be an 11th
Hour Volunteer, being a calming presence to patients and families when
patients are actively dying.
Collette (at left) volunteers for hospice because of the wonderful care she had
witnessed when hospice cared for her loved one.
We recognize that
hospice volunteering isn’t for everyone so we offer you a self test
below:
1.
Can I respect others' lifestyles and cultural differences
without being judgmental?
2.
Am I willing to help others in the way they want me to
help?
3. Am I independent enough to work on my own?
4. Do I have sense of humor that will help me see the funny
side of situations as well as
sympathize with more painful aspects?
5. Do I work well as a team member?
6.
Is my personal life sufficiently stable that I can make a
commitment to be there for others?
7. Am I comfortable saying "No" to requests for my time?
8. Can I be assertive about the time I am willing and not
willing to devote to volunteering?
9.
Am I open enough to continue learning about my self as I
learn the volunteer experience?
10.
Am I flexible enough to accept others' views of death
without being judgmental.
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