Become a MedCentral Hospice Volunteer

You may choose from a variety of ways to be involved in enhancing the quality of life for terminally ill patients and their families

Most often volunteers offer direct help to the terminally ill and their families in the patient's home. Volunteers support and encourage the patient and family on a personal caring basis. Direct care volunteer support may include:  

• Visiting with the patient to provide respite care and companionship for patients
• Running household errands
• Assisting with reading and correspondence
• Providing bereavement support to family members after the patient's death
• Providing childcare for patient families

MedCentral Hospice volunteers also offer indirect support to patients through a variety of activities:

• Assisting in the Hospice office with record-keeping, typing, filing, computer data entry, mailings, answering telephones, copying materials and other duties
• Participating in fund raising and community education events

Training Required
All volunteers attend a 12-hour training course which includes:

• An introduction to hospice history and philosophy
• Information on the importance of maintaining confidentiality and other patient's rights, active listening and communication
• The volunteer's role and responsibilities on the hospice team
• The grieving process and how to help
• Spiritual needs of the dying and their families and friends
• The psychological needs of a family impacted by terminal illness

Assignments
Volunteers are assigned to their areas of interest by the Hospice volunteer coordinator.  Volunteers assisting with direct care or bereavement care are assigned to specific patients/families. Non-patient assignments may be accepted on a weekly, monthly or as-needed basis.

Time Commitment
During the period of patient assignment, a volunteer should expect to give 2 to 4 hours per week. Other assignments require varying time and commitments according to the volunteers availability.

We are looking for:

• People who care about the quality of life of the terminally ill and their families
• People who are responsible
• People who enjoy life and who can come to terms with life's realities
• People who are mature and want to grow in interior strength
• People from every walk of life: homemakers and business persons, retirees and college students, men and women of all ages, income, religious and cultural backgrounds

For more information, please contact Brenda Ewers at (419) 520-2975 or bewers@medcentral.org

Last Updated: December 7, 2012