VNA's Hospice Volunteer Program is a vital part of our services. Volunteers act as companions to patients, providing them with a caring friend to talk with, while offering respite time for family caregivers.

WHO CAN VOLUNTEER?

People from all walks of life give their time and energy to our patients and their families. People find that volunteering with Hospice allows them to give back to the community in a unique way. Many volunteers are cancer survivors or have had someone close to them who has been part of a hospice program. However, this kind of experience is not a requirement. What we are looking for in our volunteers are individuals who are compassionate, caring people who are good listeners.

WHAT DO VOLUNTEERS DO?

Patient Care Volunteers
Adults who have completed our 30-hour training program are eligible to work as Patient Care Volunteers. Patient Care Volunteers give a minimum of three hours per week to a specific patient. Volunteers give their time according to their work and family schedule and may be available to us during normal workdays, evenings, weekends or overnight.

Pastoral Care Volunteers
Pastoral Care Volunteers work under the direction of our Chaplain. Their goal is to be an ecumenical presence and to nourish the spiritual life of the patient. It is their responsibility to assist the dying person in his or her own spiritual journey through this state of life, guided by the individual's own definition of spirituality, faith structure and/or faith community.

Bereavement Companions
Bereavement Companions work directly with VNA's Bereavement Department. Companions follow families for 13 months following a death by talking with them on the phone and providing support to family members who are dealing with grief and loss.

Office Volunteers
Office Volunteers give their time weekly or as needed for specific projects. Materials are produced and prepared for mailings, training information is replicated for new volunteers, telephone calls are made to all volunteers prior to an event or meeting, and office volunteers also assist by answering office phones during staff vacations.

Drivers
Our drivers are available to transport patients or family members to and from medical appointments, deliver durable medical equipment (DME) such as wheelchairs and commodes, and pick up materials from homes following a death. They stock storage areas and bring necessary supplies to the office for staff to deliver to our patients.

Vigil Volunteers
Through a new program currently being developed, Vigil Volunteers are trained to spend blocks of time (usually 3 to 4 hours) with dying patients in the last days or hours of their lives. Surveys have shown that people's greatest fear is dying alone. Because patients often do not have family members or friends to be with them at the time of death, Vigil Volunteers are trained to be at the patient's bedside just prior to and at the time of death.

OUR VOLUNTEER TRAINING PROGRAM

Offered annually during the months of January and February, our 30-hour Volunteer Training Program exposes participants to all aspects of Hospice and the Hospice philosophy. Each discipline is represented, as well as people from the community who have appropriate information to offer. Sample topics include: The Role of the Hospice Team; Understanding Grief; Kids' Grief; Communication Skills; Spiritual Care; Pain Management; Disease Progression; Religious Panel; Hospice in the Nursing Home; Alternative Therapies; and a Visit to a Funeral Home.

Volunteering for Hospice is a very special gift to the patients and families we serve. For more information about our program or to become a Hospice volunteer, please call our Volunteer Coordinator at 508-673-1589 or 888-423-8001.