Healthcare Services
Hospice Volunteers
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- Healthcare Services
- Hospice and Palliative Care
- Hospice Volunteers
What is Hospice Care?
The role of hospice volunteers is to support terminally ill patients and their families, as well as to assist hospice staff and institutional activities. They help alleviate patients’ suffering and accompany them in completing their lives in a peaceful and dignified environment. They also support and counsel family members who are emotionally and physically exhausted from long-term caregiving.
They also engage in various volunteer activities that help reduce the workload of hospice staff, thereby supporting the delivery of services in a more efficient and effective manner.
Philosophy of Hospice Volunteers
Voluntariness and Autonomy
- All activities must arise from one’s own free will.
- Even if something is morally right, it should never be imposed as an obligation by others.
Altruism and Social Responsibility
- Based on a value system that respects life and promotes living in harmony with others, hospice volunteering begins with an awareness of contributing to the well-being of the community and should be upheld with consistency and sincerity.
Non-Remuneration and Unpaid Service
- Volunteers should seek no material reward beyond the spiritual fulfillment and satisfaction of serving others.
- Minimal expense reimbursements, such as transportation costs, may be permitted, but this is not the principle of hospice volunteering.
Pioneering Spirit and Continuity
- Volunteers should possess a pioneering sense of mission, dedicating themselves to building a compassionate community.
- This should not be a one-time effort, but a commitment practiced with persistence and continuity.
Qualifications of Hospice Volunteers
- Individuals who have completed hospice training
- Those with good motivation
- Those who have not experienced the loss of a close family member within the past year
- Current cancer patients are not eligible
Qualities of a Hospice Volunteer
- Maturity and emotional stability
- A positive outlook on life and death
- The ability to listen attentively and respect others’ values
- Deep compassion and a caring spirit
- Reliability in maintaining confidentiality and honoring commitments
- Possesses humility, a spirit of sacrifice, and a strong sense of responsibility
- Recognizes their own strengths and weaknesses
- Work cooperatively with people from various fields
Hospice Volunteer Activities
The activities of hospice volunteers include providing physical, social, psychological, and spiritual support for patients and their families.
| Volunteer Activity Areas | Volunteer Activities |
|---|---|
| Patient visits | Visiting inpatients and home hospice patients |
| General activities | Conversation and active listening, basic physical care, bed arrangements, assistance with meals, providing companionship and comfort, and offering practical support |
| Counseling | Counseling for families and patients |
| Funeral | Prayers at the time of death, post-passing care, visit to the mortuary, participation in funeral ceremonies, and guidance on funeral procedures |
| Bereavement support for families | Condolence calls and counseling, bereaved family gatherings, etc. |
| Education | Group meetings, monthly education sessions, case presentations, and participation in events and education programs |
| Volunteer in support of hospice activities | Office assistance for hospice operations, data organization, answering phone calls, and supporting education programs and activities |
