Before I became involved with hospice, I was not aware of the incredible amount of time that hospice volunteers dedicate to selfless support and care for patients and their families. More than 400,000 volunteers provide millions of hours of service through our nation's hospices every year. More than 1.4 million people received compassionate care from hospice last year and its volunteers serve as an integral part of the care team. Everyone involved demonstrates their selfless attitude, greatly affecting the lives of others with their small actions of comfort and kindness.
Serving as a hospice volunteer allows me to make sure that the people I care for and their families find hope within each day, have their dignity preserved and are surrounded by love even in the final moments of life.
Also read this story from a volunteer at Alive Hospice Residence Nashville.
Listening – that’s what we all do the most of here. Oh, and caring enough to get out of our comfort zones and then finding out that we now have a new comfort zone. We assist patients with writing thank-you’s and then sometimes we help them write letters of good-bye. We cry, we laugh, we listen some more and we may laugh and cry all over again. Sometimes we order pizza and have girls’ nights in, bring in patients’ beloved pets, watch movies, water plants, take a patient for a walk or ride around the Residence, play music, or paint nails.
Hospice volunteers, thank you for the wonderful service you provide to patients and their families!
