Veteran-to-Veteran Volunteer

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NOTE: COVID-19 restrictions currently in place. We seek new volunteers once restrictions are lifted and will hold orientation after Jan. 1, 2021. Current volunteers are limited to phone or virtual contact with patients. However, we have desperate need for veterans to serve as volunteers and welcome all such inquiries.

Veterans often have specific needs. Veterans often have a particular bond with one another.

To better serve veterans who happen to be hospice patients, UnityPoint Hospice Cedar Rapids seeks veterans to train as hospice volunteers. Hospice volunteer training includes such topics as hospice philosophy, attitudes toward death, preparing for death at home, spirituality in hospice, communication skills, and grief/bereavement. Volunteers undergo 14 hours of training before they can visit patients.

A typical commitment involves visiting a patient twice a month, or weekly, for about an hourlong visit. Some patients ask for respite visits that allow family members to keep doctor appointments, go shopping, and so on. Respite visits might take place once or twice a week, and last two or three hours. Sometimes, respite visits are one-time only events, such as allowing a spouse to keep an appointment.

Once paired, Veteran Volunteers have particular ability to relate and connect with these patients at the end of life, with emphasis on life review, listening, and comforting presence. Serving as a hospice volunteer can be a warm and rewarding experience, and it's especially meaningful when it's veteran-to-veteran.

The COVID-19 pandemic calls for additional steps to protect volunteers and patients. We offer additional training in use of personal protective equipment (PPE) and other virus mitigation steps. Volunteers must wear a mask and goggles when seeing patients.