What's it like to volunteer for home hospice?

[buckeye4]

My duties will mainly be to provide short-term relief for their caregivers (for them to run errands) and assisting with anything the patient needs help with (food, meds, etc.)

Trying to make the most of in-person volunteering right now as many organizations have not yet welcomed back their volunteers. Wondering if it's for me before committing to hours. I'm not the most entertaining person to be around, nor am I very chatty. I just sorta don't want to seem awkward. lol

Also, would this experience count as clinical?

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[Blueprint Med School]

The patient will know what they want. If they want to chat with somebody, then they'll chat with you. A lot of patients in hospice care don't actually want to chat with a stranger, so a lot of times you're there on the request of their primary caregiver. In these cases, you'll probably just be there to make sure nothing happens to the patient, or to provide help with basic living. With one patient I worked with, all I did was go to his house for ~5 hours once a week and sat in another room doing other work. If the patient needed help moving around or needed me to get something, then I got it, but most of the time was spent just hanging out. Other patients did want to chat and I'd end up having hour+ long conversations. It varies, but I'd say that most of your time will probably be spent on your laptop or phone.

Kevin W, MCAT Tutor
Med School Tutors