In celebration of National Volunteer Month, Interim HealthCare’s Hospice Volunteer Coordinator, Stephen Scoggins, shares how volunteering enriches lives and what it takes to become a hospice volunteer.
What do hospice volunteers do?
Hospice volunteers offer their services in various meaningful ways and play an integral role in the hospice team by bringing comfort, peace, and compassionate care to our patients and their loved ones.
What are some specific opportunities for hospice volunteers?
- Direct Patient Volunteers – Provide companionship and support to patients
- Administrative Volunteers – Help with administrative/office tasks
- Pet Therapy Volunteers – Pet handlers with trained pet therapy dogs for companionship visits
- Veteran-To-Veteran Volunteers – Veteran volunteers who served in the military to provide companionship and support to veteran patients
- Photography Volunteers – Photograph various veteran ceremonies and send photos to patients’ families
- Vigil/11th Hour Volunteers – Provide support to patients who are actively dying
- Phone Call/Bereavement Support Volunteers – Assist with various phone calls and bereavement support
What are some possible reasons someone may have for volunteering with hospice?
- If you have a caring heart and want to be a friend to someone
- If you have a trained therapy dog and are looking for an opportunity to serve together
- If you experienced hospice services for a loved one and are inspired to give back
- If you served in the military and want to honor other service men and women who served
- If you want to help your local community and build lasting relationships
What might people gain from becoming a hospice volunteer?
There is so much joy to be found in volunteering with hospice, and it can be incredibly rewarding. Volunteers bring joy, comfort, and laughter and make lasting memories for the patient and their family. Christy Hogle says it best in her recent Your Carolina interview, ““I think the best thing about volunteering is that it’s always time well spent, and it doesn’t really matter what you do.”
What makes our Hospice Volunteer Program exceptional?
- We take pride in our work with veteran patients, and our veteran program is currently a level 4, one of the highest ranks you can receive, in the We Honor Veterans (LINK: https://www.wehonorveterans.org/) program.
- We partner with Greenville County School System and utilize students in their behavioral/special needs program to help with administrative tasks. This provides students with job experience they wouldn’t receive elsewhere.
- Our pet therapy program also greatly impacts our patients and families. One of our pet therapy volunteers was recently featured on WSPA’s “Your Carolina.”
What would you say to someone thinking about volunteering who might be hesitant?
There is no better time to say yes to volunteering than right now. It doesn’t require a degree or prior experience. All it takes is a willingness to serve others and to be a friend!
What does someone need to do to become a hospice volunteer? What type of training is involved?
There are only a few steps to take to become a certified hospice volunteer. Our volunteer coordinators will walk the volunteer through every step to ensure they feel comfortable, equipped, and ready before taking their first patient.
Steps to become a hospice volunteer with Interim HealthCare:
- Do a short interview with a Volunteer Coordinator
- Fill out some standard paperwork
- Have an up-to-date TB/PPD Test
We’re currently looking for volunteers in the Upstate and Midlands of South Carolina, and we’d be honored if you’d join our team! If you’d like to volunteer, please send an email to stephen.scoggins@interimcares.com, call 864-627-1200, or click HERE.
