Release Date: 10/20/2017
“As a hospice volunteer your time positively impacts the quality of life of our patients,” said Kiel Mitchell, Care New England hospice volunteer coordinator. “Each volunteer – those knitting blankets or those spending time with someone who is terminally ill – provides a compassionate experience that is heartwarming for the patient, their family, and often the volunteer themselves.”
There are many volunteer opportunities available for direct patient support and clerical assistance to the hospice volunteer program including:
- Phone A Friend –If you want to help hospice patients who are scared, lonely, or need support, volunteer to call adult terminally ill patients. These calls are made from the VNA offices in Warwick and might include skype chat or phone chat. Volunteers can offer community updates, local news, and general friendly conversation.
- Guardian Angel – Spend two hours at a time sitting with a dying patient who is living in a nursing home, so they don’t die without a person by their side. Guardian Angel volunteers provide a calming and peaceful presence during end of life at local nursing homes in the community.
- Critter Sitter – Help with pet care for a terminally ill patient. All pets will have updated vaccinations.
- Knight In Shining Armor – Visit hospice patients in their homes to provide in-person companionship and rest for their caregivers on Saturdays/Sundays or evenings.
- Coordination Crew – Work in the hospice office supporting the hospice volunteer coordinator.
- Creative Crafters – Opportunities exist to work directly with terminally ill patients and their family members to create legacy/memory books and to help children of terminally ill parents by providing a distraction from illness. Work from home and still contribute to the community by creating busy blankets for patients with dementia or knitting lap blankets for hospice patients.
- Journey Companion – General volunteers make visits to terminally ill patients during daytime or evening hours to provide one-on-one companionship, helping caregivers with light chores or staying with the patient so the caregiver can get out of the home for enjoyment or errands. Responsibilities may also include clerical duties in the office, light cooking for patients, or running errands for terminally ill patients.
Volunteer training is provided that includes monthly gatherings for ongoing education and volunteer companionship. For information, call the VNA of Care New England Hospice at (401) 737-6050 or apply online at carenewengland.org/volunteer.