Be a hospice volunteer

Volunteers are a very important part of our hospice program. They are specially trained to work within the hospice team to promote comfort and support of the patient and their family, with a focus on providing an improving quality of life.

It takes a special kind of person to be a hospice volunteer; someone who is caring, compassionate, emphatic and committed to offering assistance throughout the patient’s hospice journey. This assistance can include:

• Being a comforting presence
• Offering companionship, reading, listening to music, watching TV/movies, etc.
• Giving the caregiver a break from providing daily care
• Helping with correspondence or memory making
• Running errands
• Doing light house work
• Communicating concerns to the hospice team

Volunteering with Gundersen Hospice is a way to give back to others. People interested in becoming hospice volunteers are invited to attend general volunteer and hospice-specific volunteer training. The hospice-specific training includes topics such as philosophy of hospice; psychological issues of death and dying; communication; family dynamics; the spiritual journey; pain management; coping mechanisms and self-care; end-of-life experiences; documentation and confidentiality; and bereavement.