Volunteer with Hospice and Palliative Care
Hospice of St. Lawrence Valley was founded as an all-volunteer organization and maintains a strong volunteer program. The Hospice Journey is a 22 hour training program required of each direct care volunteer prior to assignment to a patient.
After training, volunteers are individually interviewed before being matched with a patient. Volunteers provide support & companionship as well as respite for caregivers. They provide an atmosphere of warmth and understanding during this difficult time.
During visits to the home, hospital or nursing home, the volunteer may:
- Read or write letters
- Listen to and converse with the patient and family
- Stay with the patient while the primary care person goes out
- Prepare a light meal and assist with feeding the patient
- Do errands
- Take the patient for a walk or ride.
Bonnie Spears, Director of Supportive Services, is our volunteer coordinator. She organizes training, schedules patient visits and oversees volunteers. Both the Director of Supportive Services and the volunteer are members of each patient's care team, so everyone is kept up to date on any new or changing patient needs.
Indirect volunteers are people who would like to help hospice but might not be comfortable with direct care. Indirect volunteers are encouraged to participate in the training program but are not required to. They provide valuable services to the Hospice program by assisting with:
- Answering phones, filing, photocopying
- Helping with large bulk mailings
- Performing small maintenance jobs
- Assisting with computer data entry
- Staffing tables at health fairs
- Fundraising and public relations