Volunteers
Our volunteers are the heart of Talbot Hospice. They bring compassion, kindness, and a helping hand to our patients, their families, and our community everyday.
The Role of the Talbot Hospice Volunteer
When you become a Talbot Hospice volunteer, you join a wonderful group of dedicated individuals who support patients and families in our care. Talbot Hospice volunteers are the most important and visible providers of our supportive services. Our volunteers have many and diverse gifts that they contribute in their own way, and we welcome your skills and talents!
Things volunteers do:
- Cook meals for patients at Hospice House
- Provide respite for caregivers
- Staff the front reception desk
- Take patients to doctor appointments
- Shop for groceries
- Maintain our lovely meditation gardens
- Serve as an End-of-Life Doula when death is imminent
- Serve as a companion to patients just by holding a hand, reading a book or taking a ride
Volunteer Training
Talbot Hospice Volunteer Training includes a comprehensive 16 hour training which addresses a variety of end-of-life issues, including bereavement, the dying process, hands-on patient care and advance directives. Additional topics covered are hospice philosophy, attitudes and fears about death, spirituality, listening skills, setting boundaries, family dynamics, and cultural diversity.
Volunteering FAQs
Talbot Hospice volunteer training includes a comprehensive 16 hour training which addresses a variety of end-of-life issues, including bereavement, the dying process, hands-on patient care and advance directives. Additional topics covered are hospice philosophy, attitudes and fears about death, spirituality, listening skills, setting boundaries, family dynamics, and cultural diversity. Volunteer roles that do not involve direct patient interaction require less training.
For the safety of all staff and families, background checks are performed on all volunteers. Volunteers are considered an integral part of the interdisciplinary hospice team and although unpaid, are considered members of the staff. Other requirements include:
- Hepatitis Record of Inoculation (or you can sign a waiver to decline)
- Auto Insurance Proof
- Copy of Driver’s License
- Copy of MVA Record
- PPD Test (Tuberculosis)
- Two Letters of Recommendation
There is no minimum number of hours required. We will place you where you are most comfortable and you may also increase or decrease your volunteer hours according to your personal needs.
We welcome volunteers of all ages! All that is needed is a desire to serve. Our youngest volunteers are school children who provide artwork throughout the year, and at the other end of the spectrum we have many volunteers in their eighties and some in their nineties!
From assisting with our gardens to offering clerical help to the staff, there are numerous possibilities for those who want to volunteer at Talbot Hospice. Volunteers may offer help writing for publications or organizing files for our bereavement program. We have volunteers who assist with household chores from changing light bulbs to maintaining our hummingbird feeders. The sky is the limit!
No, Talbot Hospice volunteers need to receive 16 hours of training before they can serve Talbot Hospice. The volunteers that put together the Festival of Trees work under a separate 501(c)(3) called The Friends of Hospice.
Although everyone's situation is unique, as a general rule we ask that you wait at least a year after a significant loss before volunteering for Talbot Hospice.
