Seeking Hospice Volunteers in Central Ohio
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Please visit the new page to apply.
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A group opportunity. Invite your friends.
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6 people are interested
- Hospice volunteers provide supporting services. They are an extension of the hospice staff helping to ensure patients and families can have their needs met. A strong hospice volunteer program "makes it possible for a hospice to do more for everyone."
- Hospice volunteers offer specialized skills outside the scope of professional staff expertise. Volunteers with a "green thumb" can help a busy family caregiver create a flower box in the window outside their loved one’s chair. Hairdressers, massage therapists, and musicians are examples of the many volunteers who bring their unique talents to patients and families in hospice.
- Volunteers can focus on specific needs. The hospice paid staff can find themselves stretched thin trying to meet the needs of their patients and families. Hospice volunteers are typically assigned to one patient/family, or they volunteer to meet a particular need. As a hospice nurse, I struggled when I needed to leave a dying patient’s bedside when there wasn’t any family to be with them. The patient was comfortable but leaving someone to die alone didn’t feel right. Neither did delaying care for my other patients that day. Our organization had a group of "vigil volunteers," who were specially trained to sit with the dying and provide support and presence. These volunteers allowed me to care for my other patients, knowing my patient was not alone.
- Volunteers offer the gift of time and company. The volunteers who gave of their time to watch old westerns, listen to gospel hymns, or sit with a dying patient who would otherwise be alone, each gave the most precious gifts of all: the gifts of time and presence. Family members knew that their loved ones were not alone, that someone who was specifically trained to provide what was needed was there when it mattered.
- Volunteers free up time for professional staff. You may see volunteers in your inpatient unit answering phones, greeting visitors, or helping to move patients outside to enjoy a sunny day. Taking care of these tasks means your professional staff can spend more time doing the things they are trained to do. You can see the same benefits in the home setting as volunteers walk the family dog, sit with the patient so the family can discuss what to expect next with the nurse, or deliver a form to the office so the social worker can move on to their next patient.
- Hospice volunteers offer a safe outlet for patients and family members to unburden themselves. At the end of life, patients and family members alike experience big feelings, concerns, and worries. Sometimes, sharing those feelings and concerns with someone outside the circle of care is easier than sharing them with the patient or other family members. Patients may find it easier to share feelings of gratitude for family members, sadness for missed opportunities, or other big feelings with a volunteer rather than with family members. Feelings of anger and frustration are hard to share when someone you love is dying. Spending time with a volunteer who can listen without judging can make all the difference for a family member struggling with these feelings.
No additional volunteer opportunities at this time.
About Faith & Family Supportive Care & Hospice
Location:
630 Morristion Rd, Suite 310, Gahanna, OH 43230, US
Mission Statement
Extraordinary Care. Everyday. The Guiding principle of Faith & Family Supportive Care & Hospice is to enrich and enhance the lives of our patients in care, by providing an extraordinary healthcare experience.
Description
Our hospice program grew from our home health division, Enliven. Our hospice is small, but mighty. We have high expectations for the care of our patients and treat them like we would treat ourselves with care. Each and every patient is unique. Hospice is something you can only do one time, so we make sure our team gets it right on the first and only time we get with patients and families. Our volunteers play a vital role in our team approach and care to patients. We also welcome office volunteers for those who aren't as comfortable at the bedside with patients, but want to give back.
