VOLUNTEERING
"It is impossible...for one to give as you have given, entering into a life that is at its close, without also sharing the pain of parting. May you be comforted by the knowledge that you have brightened the last days of a fellow human being." -unknown
Volunteering for hospice can be a challenging and rewarding experience. Volunteer training teaches you how to care for the sick and dying, their families and friends. The experience makes you a more effective communicator. By serving people who are making choices on how to spend their last precious days of life, volunteers learn more about themselves and what really matters.
Providing quality care for those in the community who are dying builds a sense of belonging for all those who participate. Volunteers are special people who make a difference in the lives of hospice patients and their families. They also make a valuable contribution to the community and enhance their own well-being. Volunteers are often surprised at how able they are to help in patients homes and how rewarding it can be. However, some volunteers feel more comfortable offering non-patient assistance such as helping with fund-raising or administrative work. However you feel you are best able to help, Hospice of Missoula loves it's volunteers and appreciates all the time given.
Some examples of volunteer tasks are:
* Provide hands-on care to dying patients.
* Provide respite and support for family and other caregivers.
* Do administrative work in a hospice office.
* Assist with fund raising activities.
* Read to patients, listen, and be there for patients who need companionship.
* Assist with childcare.
* Provide bereavement support for families.
* Provide professional services.
HOW TO BECOME A HOSPICE VOLUNTEER
The easiest way to become a hospice volunteer is to call the hospice office and ask to be considered for the next volunteer training class. While hospices generally encourage people who have experienced a loss to wait at least a year to be trained as a patient care volunteer, there are often administrative and fund raising tasks that need volunteer support.
Since most hospices must be licensed in the state and seek Medicare certification for reimbursement, the training program for volunteers is typically the one defined in the Medicare regulations. If a person has ever gone through hospice volunteer training with any hospice, he or she is certified to volunteer at any hospice. Medicare requires that volunteers are aware of:
* Their duties and responsibilities;
* The person they report to;
* The person they contact if they need assistance and instruction;
* Hospice goals, services, and philosophies;
* Confidentiality and protection of the patient's and family's rights;
* Family dynamics, coping mechanisms and psychological issues surrounding terminal illness,
death, and bereavement;
* Procedures to be followed in an emergency or following the death of a patient;
* Guidance elated to specific individual responsibilites.
If you would be interested in volunteering for Hospice of Missoula, please call our office at
(406) 543-4408.
