Hospice Volunteer Heart of Hospice

LHC Group•Columbia, SC

About The Position

The Hospice Volunteer enhances the quality of care provided to hospice patients and families through patient- and family-care activities or administrative support that advances the agency’s goal of quality care. Volunteers provide services according to their designated activities and, when providing patient care and support, must work within their experience, training, and education, in compliance with agency policies and under the supervision of an agency employee. This is an unpaid volunteer position.

Requirements

Experience: less than 6 months.
Experience working with people and willingness to serve others.
Mature, non-judgmental, caring, people-oriented, and supportive of the hospice concept of care.
Completes the Volunteer Training Program.
Patient-care and support services must be provided in compliance with agency policies and under the supervision of an agency employee, according to the volunteer’s experience, training, and education.

Responsibilities

Provides assistance to the hospice program and/or patient and family in accordance with designated activities.
Provides input into the Plan of Care and Interdisciplinary Group meetings, as applicable.
Documents services provided accurately, as trained and instructed by the hospice agency.
Maintains strict patient confidentiality.
Communicates changes in a patient’s status or other observations to the assigned supervisor and/or Administrator.
Attends at least four in-services per year.
Participates in community outreach projects for the agency.
For bereavement volunteering: applies knowledge of death and dying; interacts with families compassionately; assists with arrangements after death, agency memorial services or activities, and community education on end-of-life issues.
For patient-care volunteering: maintains accurate, legible, timely, and objective documentation of each patient/family encounter; schedules regular visits as designated in the Plan of Care; provides respite care for family; attends Interdisciplinary Group meetings for Plan of Care updates as appropriate; and reports changes or observations to the assigned supervisor and Administrator.
For administrative volunteering: completes assignments in a timely manner and ensures paperwork is neat, thorough, and legible.