Volunteer
Submitting a Volunteer Inquiry Form is the first step to becoming a Hospice Volunteer.
The spirit of a Hospice Volunteer comes from a genuine desire to provide comfort, peace and care to patients, caregivers and families during the end of life journey. People of all ages can become hospice volunteers, and make a profound difference in the lives of the individuals they serve.
Whether someone wishes to volunteer directly with patients and families, or they feel more comfortable behind the scenes in an office setting, Spring Valley Hospice volunteers are an integral part of how care is provided. The Hospice Medicare Benefit, established in 1983 to provide Americans with access to high-quality end-of-life-care, is the only federal benefit that requires volunteers to off-set the cost of paid staffing positions.
Spring Valley Hospice encourages anyone who has a heart for volunteering to give their time, talent and treasure as their heart leads them. Examples of volunteer activities include:
- In-home/in-person family time
- Telephone calls to homebound patients
- Art / Music at the bedside for individual patients
- Companionship
- Transportation, (shopping, errands)
- Pet Therapy for individual patients
- Companion vigils (11th hour volunteers)
- Life Sketches (short stories about a patient's life)
- Direct bereavement support (telephone calls, composing notes, family time)
- Filing and copying
- Packaging patient information packets
- Baking cookies and popping popcorn
- Pampering patients by painting their nails or braiding hair
- Seasonal decorating for holidays and other projects
- Planting flowers and filling bird feeders
- Planning and preparation for 'Best Day Ever' activities for individual patients
- Arranging flowers for delivery to patients
- Preparing gifts and recognition items to encourage patients and their families