Someone recently asked me, “What do Hospice volunteers do?” She was interested in becoming one. She was most interested in helping in an area most people are afraid to even acknowledge. What a special person it is who aspires to be a hospice volunteer!
So to answer her question — they do a lot!!! But before "doing," there will be interviewing and training. There is practical training in end of life issues, conversation and communication skills and grief. I hope there is also a conversation about why you want to be a volunteer, what personal experiences you have had that involved dying and death, and how to take care of yourself.
Once training is completed, there are various roles you can fill:
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You can be a companion to a patient. In this role, you'll visit the patient and become their friend. This really can only occur if the referral is made soon enough, before the person withdraws.
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You can be a relief for the caregiver. Again, you'll be a friend, a listener, and a sitter while the caregiver goes out or even just sleeps.
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There are what I call "vigil volunteers," though different hospices have different names. These are the No One Dies Alone volunteers that sit by the bedside while a person is actively dying. I would like to see every family be offered a volunteer to be with them as a guide and support person, not just patients that have no one to be with them during this special time.
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Bereavement support is another possibility. In this role, you would be participating in grief groups. It would be helpful if the volunteer was assigned to a family before death who would then accompany the caregiver to the bereavement support group meetings. The volunteer does not facilitate or even share in the groups, but is a presence of support. They can also help with the coffee and cookies being served.
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Helping to organize and facilitate hospice memorial services is a helpful and meaningful volunteer activity.
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Some hospices also have volunteers working in the office assisting the staff.
I’m sure there are other areas of need and work for volunteers that I am not aware of. There can be as many possible roles for volunteers as the creativity of the hospice can imagine.
So many functions require so many special people. Special people is the key word here. Not everyone can be a Hospice volunteer. It takes a specific personality: supportive, independent, organized, social, self aware, and caring, to name a few of the characteristics I would look for. And HEART. A desire in your heart to give selflessly for the comfort of others.
Something More about… Are You Called to Comfort? The Quiet Power of Hospice Volunteering
Many hospice agencies use my comprehensive, 3 hour video to train their staff- including volunteers. This week I will be discounting THIS IS HOW PEOPLE DIE by 50% in honor of the sacred work of hospice volunteers during National Volunteer Day.
