Becoming a hospice volunteer can enrich students with various degrees from social work, nursing, counseling, to even business or art. VITAS Healthcare serves people in the Kansas City community who suffer from serious illnesses though providing comfort and preserving dignity. Check out all the opportunities they have for volunteering!
Administrative
Ø Provide support in the office by helping with filing, preparing mailings, computer input, answering the phones and assisting with special projects.
Direct Patient Care
Ø Trained volunteers visit or telephone patients and families at home, nursing homes, assisted living facilities or inpatient units.
Student Interns
Ø Student from colleges, universities, technical schools, etc. can meet their educational requirements for on-the-job experience while providing care to patients and families. Examples include: students in social work, counseling, chaplaincy, nursing, nursing assistants, physician assistants, business schools, massage therapy, community job programs, etc.
11th Hour (Vigil)
Ø Trained patient care volunteers sit at the patient’s bedside during their final hours to provide comfort and support to patients and families at home, nursing homes, assisted living facilities or inpatient units.
Bereavement
Ø Trained bereavement volunteers assist survivors through visits, phone calls, co-leading support groups, creating memorial services and sending bereavement mailings.
Paw Pals Program
Ø Screened and trained pets and their volunteer handlers visit patients and provide socialization, comfort, life review, etc.
Spiritual Care
Ø Volunteers support patients and their families with spiritual issues that arise at the end of life, such as meaning, faith, life review, issues related to loss, loneliness, etc.
TAP (Telephone Assurance Program)
Ø Volunteers make supportive phone calls to bereaved persons or make check-in calls to active patients and their families.
Veteran Program
Ø Volunteers trained in the special end-of-life needs of veterans assist with replacing lost medals, linking veterans to VA benefits, performing life review, visiting on Veteran’s Day, educating veteran’s organizations about hospice care, etc.
Memory Bear Makers
Ø Volunteers sew memory bears from VITAS patient’s clothes to provide comfort and support to the family.
Life Story Volunteers
Ø These volunteers provide comfort and support to the patients and families by reminiscing and/or recording the patient’s life stories. The volunteer might present the family with a legacy CD as well.
Alternative/Complimentary Care
Ø Trained patient-care volunteers visit patients and families to provide art therapy, aroma therapy and Reiki.
Massage
Ø Volunteers with a current massage therapy license provide friendly touch and massage to comfort and support patients and families.
Music
Ø Trained patient-care volunteers provide support to the patient and family by singing or playing a musical instrument.
Art Volunteers
Ø use their skills to help patients and families explore their creative side and express their feelings through the visual arts
Photography
Ø These volunteers will provide comfort and support to the patients and families by taking professional pictures of the patient and family. The photography volunteer will generally provide a picture CD to the family.
Hair Care
Ø Volunteers with a current cosmetology license provide haircuts, shampoos and styling to VITAS patients and families.
Personal Pampering
Ø Trained volunteers provide hair washing, apply lotion, nail polish and provide other esteem-raising beauty routines.
Speaker’s Bureau
Ø Volunteers speak in the community on topics related to end-of-life care and also recruit volunteers.
For more information, you can visit their website and if you’re interested you can sign up here!