Direct Care Volunteer

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Volunteers are the "Heart of Hospice."
We need a volunteer like you to be involved with a single patient and family for the duration of the patient’s illness, through death and often through the bereavement period. Many times long-term friendships evolve. The primary responsibility of the direct care volunteer is to supplement the support services of the hospice team. In addition to being a companion to the patient, volunteers frequently provide a respite for an exhausted family member or caregiver. The volunteer also provides valuable feedback to the hospice team regarding patient and family needs and coping ability.

Volunteers help address a fundamental fear of dying patients-being alone and isolated from others. Volunteers, because they work without pay, are considered special people by patients and families. Volunteers also provide a link to the community at a time when the debilitating disease has caused isolation. The act of volunteering not only means someone person cares, but it also signifies the fact that the community itself cares. Volunteers can help families access community resources, community life and community activities.

All volunteers including direct services to patients and families, bereavement services, and/or office volunteer services, will be trained pursuant to the requirements established by Medicare and the State of Virginia.

Training must be completed prior to the volunteer beginning his/her service hours. The objective of the volunteer training is to ensure the volunteer is familiar with hospice services, philosophies of death, and dying including grief, as well as the exploration of attitudes about terminal illnesses.
After the completion of our training program, we maintain that you are not under any obligation to continue volunteer services.