Volunteer Training

First-hand experience interacting with family members or friends have often helped potential hospice volunteers to be supportive and sensitive to the family’s needs. However, there are many specific pieces of information related to policies and procedures, ethics, and other important topics that will be reviewed during the training. Our training covers several important topics which include but are not limited to:

• History, philosophy of hospice and palliative care
• Role of the volunteer in hospice
• The hospice team
• Who is the hospice patient? (Admission criteria and hospice diagnoses)
• Death and dying
• Ethics and hospice care
• Family Dynamics: Concept of the “unit of care”
• Psychosocial aspects
• Spiritual care
• Communication and listening skills
• Grief and bereavement
• Cultural competency
• Stress management
• Safety Matters: Universal precautions, volunteer and patient safety
• Samaritan Care volunteer policies and procedures
• Reporting and documentation
• Regulations: confidentiality, HIPAA, etc.

*The volunteer training is required for becoming a hospice volunteer.