Reviews
Would you recommend JourneyCare?
18 reviews
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(2016-12-06 10:14:14.0)
I've been working with JourneyCare for approximately five months now and recommend it to anybody with an interest in volunteering with hospice. The training is rigorous and important to help volunteers feel comfortable when they approach their assignments. Volunteer coordinators are responsive and appear to take great care in matching volunteers with patients so that everybody has a positive experience.
During these five months, I have had opportunities to speak with those who have had need of JourneyCare's services. These patient families have all spoken very highly of their experience -- and that has been before they knew that I volunteer with JourneyCare.
(2016-08-03 11:29:33.0)
I have been volunteering with Journey Care for about a month and have been very pleased with my experience. All the staff I have worked with have been very helpful and friendly. The orientation and training were very thorough and informative. I am able to schedule my patient visits when it is convenient for the both of us. Lastly, the patient I have been paired with for visits is very sweet and I feel very fortunate to be able to spend time with him.
(2016-04-11 07:59:28.0)
I have been a volunteer with Journey Care for several months now and I absolutely enjoy my position. I work in a liaison role between the Pediatric clinical team and Volunteer Services. The position involves being part of a weekly IDT (Inter Disciplinary Team) meeting, which is composed of nurses, social workers, CNAs, child life and bereavement specialists as well as a chaplain. My role is to offer input should our pediatric patient families benefit from non-clinical support through our volunteers.
I can relate to this experience as I lost a child who suffered a 5-year terminal illness. My Journey Care volunteer role has provided me a means to stay connected to the dedicated professional staff that supported families like my own. It has also helped to grow my own family experiences to something positive, aiding in a personal healing process by focusing on others with relatable needs. I consider it a privilege and rewarding to be a part of another human’s precious journey.
(2016-01-05 16:06:52.0)
I have been a volunteer baker since March 2015. I can't say enough about the training I received before I could go off on my own. JourneyCare puts the patient first in so many ways, but also the families. My baking is mostly for the families and visitors of the patients; it is a great feeling I get when I distribute the cookies or whatever treats I made and am able to put a smile on someone's face at these trying times.
(2015-12-29 13:30:34.0)
JourneyCare is an amazing organization with wonderful staff and very thorough and informative training. Despite the upsetting nature of the job, the reality is much more uplifting because it truly is about making every moment count. I've already had such heart-warming experiences volunteering with JourneyCare and it has only been a few months! For example, I've been visiting a pediatric patient frequently. I will either look after the girl which provides the family some time to relax or I will help with some housekeeping while the parents spend time with their daughter. The joy I see in the girl's eyes when we play together and the sincere gratitude I receive from the parents is so touching. It's a beautiful thing to give back and offer your time to ease someone else's pain and suffering.
(2015-08-28 19:37:53.0)
Journeycare is an amazing place to volunteer. They are very family orientated. They want the families and patients to feel like they are at home and taken care of. I look forward to every experience I have there. I'm a hairdresser, currently in nursing school. So I have the pleasure to be able to still do my passion, hair. As well as meet wonderful people along the way.
(2015-05-21 11:30:38.0)
I have been volunteering for about 8 months now. Journeycare has an amazing program and staff! The training is great-I felt very prepared before I began any volunteer work. I have been visiting and doing light housekeeping for a pediatric cancer patient/family for about 7 months now. It has been such an amazing experience! Such a wonderful family to go and visit and help out! They are extremely appreciative & thank me again and again each week. I know that I am making a difference in their lives and it feels really good. One of the most rewarding experiences in my life!
(2015-05-20 12:27:12.0)
Journeycare's mission is to make every moment count for those touched by serious illness and loss. Since I started volunteering with Journeycare, I have felt a total part of this mission. My volunteer tasks, which I chose, involve helping out in reception/admin in Barrington Hospice and also I visit patients in their own homes to give caregivers some respite. To say this volunteer work is rewarding is an understatement. I love it!
(2015-05-19 14:30:20.0)
I have been volunteering with JourneyCare for a few months now, and have been very impressed with the staff, the volunteer program, and the overall comprehensiveness of JourneyCare as an organization. From the start, I found the volunteer coordinators to be highly responsive, friendly and very helpful. I was looking for an opportunity that offered 1:1 contact with patients and their families but that also offered flexibility with my own irregular schedule. So far, I have enjoyed volunteering in-home, mostly with pediatric patient/family members. I think what is so unique about this volunteer program is that there are so many different opportunities to help based on your personal skills and interests, and you pick what you are comfortable with, whether that is directly in the patient's home, in a facility with the support of staff onsite, or assisting with various projects, functions or administrative roles.
(2015-02-13 10:41:09.0)
I recently started volunteering at JourneyCare because I was extremely thankful for the volunteers who helped my family and I through my grandmother's end of life journey. I felt that this was a good way to give back and honor my grandmother. I volunteer as a baker and bring around a variety of treats to the patients, families, and volunteers. This experience has been truly remarkable and I would absolutely recommend it to everyone. There are several ways to get involved, each way just as enjoyable and rewarding as the next. My time at JourneyCare has been wonderful so far and I look forward to continuing to help in the unit for a long time.
(2014-12-21 09:30:28.0)
Everyone at JourneyCare is so nice and always very thankful for any help you provide. The training is excellent and the facility is well-run. I've had the privilege of working at the Barrington in-patient unit since June of this past year in hospitality/reception. The nurses, CNA's and secretary that I work with are wonderful people and always helpful when something I've never run across comes up. I've also had the pleasure of working with the volunteer coordinators on putting together mailings, and no matter how much or how little I feel like I contributed that day, they always assure me that my presence there is of great help to the team. Many people feel that being in the environment with people who are at end of life is depressing. I find it quite the opposite. It helps you to look at your own life in a different light. To be thankful for the little things and not to get so bent out of shape over insignificant things. I would recommend JourneyCare to anyone who asks.
(2014-12-20 18:02:37.0)
The staff is very warm and friendly which makes me feel quite comfortable when I am volunteering there. The staff tries their best to ensure the guests/patients are comfortable and have what they need. They almost give you the feeling of having a second family.
(2014-12-20 12:26:42.0)
I was looking to make a meaningful difference in peoples' lives when I found JourneyCare in October. I had a positive experience with a hospice organization when my mother died and felt that everyone should be able to die with dignity, respect and compassion.
After completing my training, I began working at the Woodstock in-patient unit hospitality desk, helping the nursing staff and families of patients who are admitted. I have also driven patients to appointments, helped in an assisted living residence with art therapy (I am NO artist), and have been helping out in the administration office. There is always something to be done and the staff is GREAT about supporting its volunteers by finding the right job and being appreciative of the volunteers' efforts. Everyone is so caring and empathetic which is necessary when dealing with people who are so vulnerable.
The JourneyCare staff is amazing and I consider it a privilege to be helping out this wonderful organization.
(2014-12-20 10:17:08.0)
I have been a volunteer baker at Journey Care in Barrington for about 6 months now and have really loved my experience. My sister, sister-in-law and I come in on Monday mornings and bake cookies, scones, and other home baked goods for the patients, families, and staff. The reactions that we get when we bring around the "cookie cart" are amazing & heart warming. I think the simple act of baking in the kitchen brings comfort to people and sometimes it is just what they are looking for. I would highly recommend volunteering at Journey Care in any capacity not only because it is full of wonderful and caring people, but the experience is truly rewarding.
(2014-11-05 15:48:24.0)
In my experience over the last 2 yrs volunteering with Journey Care, I have found:
-extremely strong staff support as they prepare and come alongside volunteers to ensure high quality service to patients that is highly patient and family centric;
-they encourage volunteers to be creative, to use our unique gifts and talents to serve patients and families in a way that is genuine to us and sensitive to patient and families;
-there are a variety of programs that one can become involved with that are aligned with the main mission to "make every moment count for those touched by serious illness and loss".
As an active health care professional that also has significant volunteer exposure in various settings, involvement at Journey Care has provided enormous meaningful experience for me as well as cognitive stimulation as I try my hand at new opportunities such as community education.
(2014-08-05 12:52:49.0)
Volunteering at the beautiful Barrington Journey Care was such a rewarding experience for me. Working in a hospice facility already creates for a meaningful experience, but the staff at Barrington's IPU made for a memorable time. I couldn't speak more highly of Journey Care in Barrington. As a first time volunteer, they made everything so easy. From their flexible scheduling that you choose, to the training and orientations where one learns what to expect, and just the communication and how easily I could come in contact staff, as well as ask questions on the job, which they willingly answered. I volunteered as a CNA assist and absolutely loved it. I wouldn't say this job in particular is for everyone--seeing it is very hands on--but not to worry, Journey Care offers many many different options for anyone that wants to get involved. Being the CNA assist though is perfect for anyone who needs the hands on experience in the nursing/medical/health fields!! HIGHLY HIGHLY RECOMMEND!!!!
(2014-07-02 08:24:18.0)
What I love about volunteering at JourneyCare is that there are so many different ways to help. Patient and family care is very special, but it might not be right for everyone. Perhaps being a receptionist is, or helping with mailers or serving on a committee for one of the great fundraisers or arranging flowers or helping with the youth group or weeding in the gardens. And flexibility is important. You can volunteer every day or once a month....whatever works in your current life. The important thing is to sign up for the training to get an idea of the opportunities that are available. That will help you greatly in deciding where to begin. The Volunteer Staff is exceptional and they will make it a pleasant and rewarding experience!
(2014-06-29 16:46:06.0)
Volunteer activities at the Journeycare IPU in Woodstock gives one an opportunity to work with skilled professionals and other volunteers with similar interests. The IPU staff and IPU procedures offer the volunteer structure and support, allowing those who serve as volunteers a comfortable environment to meet with patients and their family members. Volunteers are welcomed as part of the care delivery team and their unique talents and deepest concerns are respected and supported. As a volunteer, one also has the opportunity to work within a multidisciplinary environment, which offers opportunities to gain valuable perspectives from regular contacts with medical professionals, clinical support staff, social workers, and chaplains. There is hardly a day where I do not feel I have grown through my work and made a contribution to the patients and families we serve.