Sharing The Love During The Holidays - Decrease Loneliness

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Beginning hospice treatment can be an emotional and sad time. It can also be a time of closure and peace when a person nears the end of their time in this life. One thing that can be heartbreaking is when there are no family members and no friends to spend time with and offer loving support to the person who has a terminal illness. This is why volunteering for hospice during the holidays is so important.

The holidays can be challenging for many people, and volunteers are needed more than ever to offer compassion and care. Loneliness can make people more vulnerable to new illnesses or worsen an already severe condition.

Hospice volunteers are compassionate individuals who provide comfort and support to patients facing a life-limiting illness. Volunteers offer specialized skills and support outside of the clinical team.

There is no one-size-fits-all to what makes a hospice volunteer. Some volunteers participate because they want to give back to the community or they might have a special talent that brings joy to others. However, each volunteer makes a significant impact on patients and their families.

Volunteers ensure that the patient and family’s needs are met in a variety of ways. This can be through companionship, assisting with everyday tasks or providing respite time to a patient’s caregivers. Hospice volunteers can also make an impact by assisting the hospice agency with administrative duties.

This can look like:

• Sitting with a patient, socializing and providing a listening ear
• Helping with general office support (filing, shredding, etc.)
• Running errands for patients and families
• Writing a journal or life story with patients as a memento for the family
• Playing games, reading or listening to music with patients
• Walking or caring for family pets
• Assisting with light house cleaning
• Providing bereavement support for family members

Hospice volunteers have the unique opportunity to provide a type of care that is companionship-based. This non-clinical support oftentimes helps patients remain in high spirits. It might even give them or their loved ones a break from thinking about their illness.

Please reach out to Enhabit today to learn more, schedule an interview with the volunteer coordintor. We would love to have you on our team!!