Volunteer with hospice and palliative care

Here are some of the ways volunteers help us every day:

• Must be at least 18 years old and at least one year past any significant losses.
• In addition to the Spectrum Health Volunteer standard vaccination and personal identifier requirements, upon application and orientation volunteers must consent to a criminal history check, submit a copy of current driver’s license, submit to a fingerprinting background check and provide two references.
• Report any physical limitations so that you may be assigned to duties that will not jeopardize your health or interfere with the functions of the volunteer program.
• Be able to provide your own transportation or have public transportation available.
• Complete hospice volunteer orientation course. If you have graduated from a similar training elsewhere, please submit a description of the training program to the coordinator for review.
• All volunteers are encouraged to attend hospice educational in-service sessions offered thru out the year. Hospice holds in-services on a wide range of topics. They are designed to assist you in your role as a volunteer and create opportunities to engage with fellow volunteers and Spectrum Health Hospice staff members.
• Have time available in your schedule to commit to volunteering on a regular basis. Our program is flexible, allowing volunteers to serve several hours a week, a few hours a month or occasional, one time only opportunities.
• Have examined feelings about death and loss and made an appropriate adjustment to significant losses in your own life. We reserve the right to decide whether a volunteer, under stress, should continue in the program or delay participation.
• Have the personal qualities of positive approach to life, maturity, empathy, flexibility, a sense of humor, and a willingness to help others. The person should also have the ability and willingness to work with a team.
• Respect the confidentiality of hospice patients and families and all information about the patients and families conveyed by staff or coming from the family itself. You will be required to sign a confidentiality statement. In addition, all volunteers are required to complete HIPAA training during their orientation course and annually.
• Minimum one year commitment, post-onboarding, required.

Most volunteers will be required to participate in our informative orientation program. Whether you are working with patients or office projects, you will receive in-depth instruction to help you volunteer with confidence. Training topics include:

We schedule multiple volunteer orientation classes thru out the year. We maintain an ongoing communication list that shares announcements of upcoming orientations and registration instructions.