Chicago Area Pet Therapy Hospice Volunteer

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As a Pet Therapy Volunteer you and your pet will be assigned to visit patients in your own community. You bring your special skills and special friends to offer love and joy to our Hospice patients and their families. You help make final wishes come true. You and your pet are celebrities! Crowds in long term care facilities actually gather when they hear you might be coming today. But the patient, most of all, looks forward to your visit as they may be bed-bound. Often, you are their hope.

Helping to care for our patients and families is a critical role played by our volunteers. Volunteers in Patient Care and Family Support provide in-home services to patients currently being served by Rainbow Hospice. Because of the direct patient and family interaction, all of these positions require Patient Care and Family Support volunteers to go through specialized Patient Care Training. This process teaches you about hospice and terminal illness and helps prepare volunteers to interact with and support our patients and families.

Day(s) Needed: Weekdays, Evenings or Weekends

Time(s) Needed: Preferably in 3-4 hour time blocks, flexible schedules based on volunteer availability.

Key Requirements:

• Orientation Interview
• Online training you complete at home!
• 3 hour live training
• Physical and TB test (Paid by Rainbow Hospice)
• Background check.
• Must be at least 18 years of age.
• Successful adjustment to personal losses and no personal loss within past 12 months.
• Successful completion of volunteer training program.
• Clearance from appropriate health screenings, background check.
• Agree to mandatory policy statements.
• Minimum commitment of 1 year of service; at least 3-4 hours per week.
• Supportive of hospice concept, and willing to serve others in a volunteer capacity.
• Comfortable working with families with different cultural and religious values.
• Excellent communication skills.
• Independent means of transportation.
• Previous volunteer experience preferred.
• Pet owner with successful completion of pet therapy certificate accepted from a nationally recognized organization such as Pet Partners or Therapy Dogs International (TDI (r))
• Proof of pet liability insurance (added to a homeowner’s policy and is very inexpensive).
• Veterinary vaccination records.