What’s It Like To Volunteer At A Hospice? Joe Fairless Shares His Experience

Hospice care facilities work to provide people who are faced with terminal health issues with dignity, respect, and comfort as they go through the dying process. People who volunteer in a hospice facility are empathetic, caring, service-minded citizens who are interested in helping members of their community as they face stress, grief, and questions about what comes next. Here, Joe Fairless shares what it’s like to volunteer in a hospice care facility.

Spending Time With Patients

One of the key responsibilities of hospice facility volunteers is spending time with patients who would like company. Talking with patients about their lives, asking them questions, and engaging them in conversation can help them keep their minds off of stressful thoughts. Some patients enjoy chatting about the news, while others prefer to spend their time playing cards or other games. Joe Fairless states that the more time you spend volunteering at a hospice facility, the better you’ll get to know patients and how they like to spend their time.

Musical Volunteers

Many hospice centers bring in performers to play music for patients. If you know how to play a musical instrument, you may want to serve hospice patients by playing their requests or entertaining them with some original favorites. You’ll be able to spend one-on-one time with patients, talking with them about their favorite types of music and bringing a smile to their faces.

Administrative Tasks

Like any office, paperwork is abundant in a hospice care facility. As a hospice center volunteer, you may spend some time helping staff members with paperwork, Joe Fairless says. This may include answering phone calls, entering data, helping to coordinate fundraising efforts, preparing mailings, and more. If you have administrative experience, Joe Fairless recommends letting the hospice staff know. They’ll likely be able to put your experience to good use within the facility.

Pet Therapy

You don’t need to be an expert dog trainer to get your dog certified as a therapy animal. After taking a few months of training with your dog, your pet may be able to become a certified therapy dog. When providing pet therapy to hospice patients, you might simply allow your pet to sit with patients and comfort them during stressful times. You may find that your pet forms bonds with certain patients, and you’ll love seeing how proud your pet feels after helping others.

Is Volunteering In a Hospice Facility Right For You?

There’s no way around it: volunteering in a hospice facility can be challenging yet rewarding. When you form emotional connections with patients, it can be hard when they pass away. Many hospice volunteers find that their time with patients is well worth the sadness and grief that come later, as they’re able to enjoy the memories they created with patients and know that they were able to provide comfort during a patient’s end-of-life care, Joe Fairless explained.