Volunteer
CHI HEALTH AT HOME VOLUNTEERS PROVIDE COMPANIONSHIP TO PEOPLE LIVING WITH A SERIOUS ILLNESS AND HELP THEIR FAMILY CAREGIVERS IN A VARIETY OF WAYS. VOLUNTEERS ALSO ASSIST THE TEAM WITH OFFICE WORK, FUND RAISING, COMMUNITY OUTREACH AND OTHER OPERATIONAL AREAS.
CHI Health at Home’s Hospice Program Needs Volunteers
Volunteers provide important services to CHI Health at Home’s hospice program and the clients served. Whether it’s providing companionship to a person in the final months and weeks of life, offering support to family members and caregivers, or helping with community outreach and fundraising, the contributions of volunteers are essential to the important work provided by CHI Health at Home. The hospice program relies on volunteer support to provide excellent end-of-life care to each client and family. By being a hospice volunteer, you can gain great personal satisfaction from knowing that you have made an impact in another person’s life.
As a hospice volunteer you will be given choices as to how much and what types of things you want to do. Some examples of typical volunteer duties are:
- Being a comforting and supportive presence
- Engaging in one-on-one activities with clients (for example, playing a board game, reading, and etc.)
- Running errands
- Providing light housekeeping, light meal preparation
- Outdoor assistance and handyman tasks
- Providing relief for the caregiver to run errands and take care of her/his self.
- Bereavement support
- Office assistance
- Assistance with special events and activities
Volunteers are never asked to do something they are not comfortable doing.
VOLUNTEER TRAINING
All volunteers receive training to ensure they feel comfortable with their tasks. Training programs vary in length and generally cover the following areas:
- Philosophy of hospice care.
- A comprehensive overview of services offered by the hospice.
- Physical, emotional, social and spiritual issues that people can encounter at the end of life.
- Individual needs, including emotional support, emergency procedures, universal precautions and procedures to follow after the hospice patient dies.
- An overview of chronic and life-limiting illnesses.
- Effective communication skills when speaking with the patient and family members.
- Information about interpersonal family issues and relationships.
- Boundaries for the hospice volunteer and the patient and family.
- Basic information about grief and loss.
VOLUNTEER APPLICATION
If you are interested in becoming a volunteer with CHI Health at Home’s hospice program, please complete the attached application and submit it to your local CHI Health at Home hospice agency.