Volunteer

Catholic Community Hospice serves people of all faiths by providing guidance, peace of mind and compassionate care at the end of life. As an integral part of our program, specially trained hospice volunteers offer friendship, emotional support and respite care for patients and families facing a life-limiting illness.

How to Become a Hospice Volunteer

Request and complete a volunteer interest application form, complete the interview process and attend volunteer training offered by Catholic Community Hospice.

How Hospice Volunteers Serve:

• Patient Volunteer: Provide companionship and emotional support, usually visiting once a week for up to an hour. Activities may include reading to patients, playing cards, going for a walk or simply sitting at the patient’s bedside. Visits occur in the patient’s home, assisted living community or skilled nursing facility.
• Respite Volunteer: Sit with a patient while their caregiver takes time to run errands or go to appointments. Visits occur primarily in the patient’s home on an as-needed basis.
• Transitional Care Volunteer: Provide a compassionate, supportive presence at the bedside of an imminently dying patient. Transitional care may include evening or weekend visits. Advanced training is required.
• Vet-to-Vet Volunteer: In conjunction with the U.S. Veterans Association, we are a “We Honor Veterans” Level 2 hospice partner. Veteran volunteers have the unique ability to relate and connect to Veteran patients and their families. Be paired with a fellow Veteran to share and reminisce about your service to our country.
• Bereavement Volunteer: Provide support and encouragement to bereaved family members. Visits may occur in the home or by phone. Encourage participation in support group meetings and may also assist with groups offered through Catholic Community Hospice. Advanced training is required.
• Administrative Office Volunteer: Assist with data entry, photocopying, mailings and general office duties.
• Lap Blanket Volunteer: Crochet, knit, quilt or deliver lap blankets given to patients and their families.
• Special Services Volunteer: Use professional skills to help patients in a variety of ways (accountants, attorneys, massage therapists, pet visitors, art therapists, home repair, etc.)
• Spiritual Companionship: Praying the Rosary, Divine Mercy Chaplet, Reading Scripture, Spiritual Reading, devotionals, etc.

How Volunteers Are Trained

Two Saturday trainings, six-hours per session, cover mandatory topics such as Confidentiality, Infection Control, Hospice Philosophy, Documentation and Alzheimer’s disease. Additional topics include Communication Skills, Physical Process of Dying and Spiritual Issues of the Dying. Multidisciplinary team members facilitate this training. Monthly in-service training and review meetings include topics such as Comfort Care, Grief and Bereavement, Elder Abuse, Music Therapy, etc.

What to Expect

Our Volunteer Coordinator works with each volunteer to identify assignments that match volunteer preferences, availability and talents. For more information, call 913.433.2020 or email hospiceinfo@catholiccommunityhospice.com.