Volunteer - Lion Hospice

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Becoming a Lion Hospice Volunteer

If you want to be involved in work that is rewarding and enriches the lives of others, please consider becoming a Lion Hospice volunteer.

Lion Hospice volunteers make a difference in the lives of our patients, their families and loved ones every day. From spending a few hours with a patient who is feeling down or lonely to shopping for a few needed groceries or staying in touch with a family who just lost a loved one, volunteers bring a special kind of commitment to the service they provide our patients and our organization.

As a Lion Hospice volunteer, you help ensure that we meet the special needs of terminally ill patients and their families at a time when assistance is most needed.

When you invest your time, your talents and your heart into hospice volunteering,
you change a life… your own.

Who can volunteer?

Our volunteers come from the broadest spectrum of backgrounds, interests and ages - from high school and college students to retirees and mothers with school-age children to individuals who had a loved one cared for by Hospice.

How much time are volunteers asked to provide?

Scheduling is flexible. Volunteering involves just a few hours a week.

Is training required?

All of our volunteers receive orientation to acquaint them with Lion's mission, services and programs. Our orientation programs focus on communication and interpersonal skills effective in working with patients and families, and help volunteers explore their own perceptions and feelings about death and dying.

What kind of activities do volunteers perform?

The possibilities are almost endless. Among the most common ways volunteers make a difference in the lives of patients and in the day-to-day operations of Hospice include:

Companionship
Being a good listener
Sharing a book
Helping with letter writing or memoirs to leave behind
Shopping for groceries or running other errands
Giving a caregiver time off
Light housekeeping or laundry
Mowing yards
Meal preparation
Administrative office work
Providing services to bereaved families by way of notes, cards, visits and support

Note: Patient Care volunteer candidates are encouraged to delay their participation for one year following the loss of a loved one.

Besides interacting with patients, are there other ways for volunteers to help Lion Hospice?

Absolutely! Lion Hospice recognizes that not every person is comfortable working one-on-one with terminally ill patients and families. There are plenty of other ways to get involved.

Volunteers perform administrative office work, help prepare mailings and provide support at special events. In so many ways, volunteers are critical to the success of Lion Hospice and the quality of the services we provide patients and families.

What special qualities characterize volunteers?

First and foremost, volunteers should be sensitive, caring, friendly, and nonjudgmental individuals who are good listeners, accept people for who they are and do not impose their own values or beliefs on others. Lion Hospice seeks volunteers who are open and comfortable spending time with patients who are often experiencing the debilitating effects of a terminal illness. Above all, Lion Hospice encourages volunteers to just be themselves and develop their own sensitive, caring approach to interacting with patients.

Why are volunteers so important to the Lion Hospice team of caregivers?

Volunteers play a special role with patients and families that no other member of the team can provide - being someone who is more like a friend or neighbor. While other members of the team have specific care responsibilities, a volunteer can offer whatever support, companionship or help is most needed by the patient during a visit.

In many cases, patients feel free to discuss things with a volunteer that they may not be comfortable or willing to share with other Lion Hospice staff or loved ones. In this way, volunteers can be a valuable set of eyes and ears in sharing insights and information about patients which are helpful to the Lion Hospice team in addressing care concerns and issues as they arise. Volunteers, quite simply, complete the circle of caring, offering another facet of care so vital to the important work we do.

Requirements for Potential Volunteers

Completion of application
Drug Screening
Two written references on file
Criminal background check
Completion of volunteer training
TB test or chest x-ray with negative results
Completion of OSHA requirements
Hepatitis B vaccine or a written statement declining the vaccine
Signed Confidentiality Statement form

How Can You Help?

If you or someone you know is interested in volunteering, please feel free to stop by any of our locations. You may also complete the contact information page, call any Lion Hospice Office or send an email to volunteers@lionhospice.com for more information.

A message from our President:

My career in hospice began 22 years ago as a volunteer.
Those of us working in hospice recognize the incredible
contributions made by our volunteers.
Volunteers offer a special ingredient to hospice care: themselves.

Hospice volunteers are a vital part of our entire organization
and play an active role in helping to provide the many
special comfort and support services that distinguish Hospice care.

I encourage you to volunteer. This may be
one of the most rewarding experiences of your life.

Donna Reddell, President