Hospice Volunteers: What do you do??

[cfx]

Just curious, as I've always been unclear what UG hospice volunteers do. Do you go to houses and assist other people in their care for the patients, or...?

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[devilpup]

Just curious, as I've always been unclear what UG hospice volunteers do. Do you go to houses and assist other people in their care for the patients, or...?

From personal experience, the hospice volunteers work at a hospice facility and not the patient's home (sometimes the facility appears similar to a regular home). They help the CNA and RN with anything the patient and family members need. Patients who choose to die in their homes generally have a nurse that will arrive weekly to the home to oversee their palliative care- I'm not sure if they allow volunteers into their homes.

As far as actual clinical work, there is really not much- the RN administers pain meds, bathes, takes BP/Temp etc. The focus is to keep the patient comfortable (palliative care). However, the experience can be immensely gratifying. You will get to interact with family members who truly need consolation, empathy and someone to listen. The patients are generally very sick and loaded on opiates so you might not be able to interact with them a whole lot due to somnolence. The exception is when they are initially sent into the hospice facility - they will be more lucid until they gradually loose their faculties. Every patient has a unique story and they truly appreciate your companionship during those last days. I must add that it can become emotionally draining if you attach yourself too much to the patient/their families, so being cautious about that issue is important.

The experience left a lasting impression on my life, and will likely help you in the future if you decide to pursue medicine.

 

[bellakk]

Just curious, as I've always been unclear what UG hospice volunteers do. Do you go to houses and assist other people in their care for the patients, or...?

I volunteered at a hospice here in my city as a "patient support volunteer". The hospice did not have a facility, all of the patients were on home care. You could either volunteer in the office as an office assistant or volunteer with patients. Basically I was assigned a patient and went to visit them once a week for an hour or two for about 6 months. In the beginning I mostly read to them from a book of their choosing but as we got to know each other we would just end up chatting, they had some great stories. I only did it for a such a short period because my patient was taken off hospice care because they gained weight.

Hospice doesnt necessarily mean the patient is dying, just that they are not seeking treatment to get better (although sometimes I think this rule changes from hospice to hospice, its not a national law or anything). For example, you can have cancer and live for years after diagnosis. If you are having treatments to try to get "cured" you cannot be on hospice, but if you are having treatments simply to ease pain then you can still be considered for hospice and you may be under hospice care for years.

On my volunteer application it asked specifically what I would feel comfortable doing. You can drive them to Drs. appts, help clean house or run errands, or simply sit and visit, it just depends on what you want and what the current patients want. Because you are not licensed, you really arent supposed to move patients by yourself or do any sort of medical type care.

I had to do about 20 hours of training (on my own time whenever I wanted) before I could start seeing my patient. Mostly it was just watching a video on hospice and reading a binder about different ways to handle being around very sick people.

Dont be afriad to email a hospice's volunteer coordinator about specific duties. All hospices are different!

 

[cpa2md]

I volunteered briefly at an inpatient hospice unit. My job was basically to visit with whomever in the room would talk. Most of the time, the patient was comatose, and the family members were sitting around waiting for their loved one to die. The boredom, tedium, and stress experienced during that time is palpable, and family members are somewhat desperate to talk to someone - anyone about their loved one, family, what they are going through, etc.

I also had conversations with some of the patients themselves. Mrs. Breer, who was 100, was originally from Germany and during WWI (in the US) was sent to a boarding school to protect her from the anti-German sentiment in this country. She vividly recalled Armistice Day, and how the nuns let them have the day off. She was also an early resident of my neighborhood, and told me how far out in the country it was in those days, and how things grew up around her. I still think of her when I drive by her house.

Needless to say, my volunteering, just to listen, was extremely meaningful to me, and to the families. I have worked as a CPA for many years and done a lot of other things, but the only time I've been thanked or mentioned in an obituary was after I spent an hour or two with a man whose mother died later that evening.

 

[ThaliaNox]

I know a couple people who volunteer with hospice in my area and from what they say, they do a lot of different things, but nothing medically based, if that's what you're looking for. They deliver meals and chat while the hospice patient eats, visit to play cards or talk and participate in assessments so that the doctor and other caregivers know the patient's condition. My friends usually go to the patient's home for their volunteering. They are often requested to keep an eye on how much the patients are eating, or if they can feed themselves, if their hygiene is getting taken care of, etc. It seems like a worthwhile experience with death and the dying, though, and I know that admissions people like to see that.