Hospice Volunteer

Description

General Position Description:

Volunteers provide assistance and support without compensation to the Hospice patient, family, and the Hospice team. The Volunteer reports to the Volunteer Coordinator.  

Role Expectations:

• Direct Patient Care:
• Provides direct care/companionship to the patient.
• Provides preparation of meals.
• Provides a clean, safe, and comfortable patient environment
• Promotes positive, supportive, and respectful communication to the patient, family, and staff members
• Provides an environment which promotes respect for the patient, while protecting their privacy and property
• Provides support to the clinical IDT/G team in the delivery of care, including patient deliveries, co-visits, and activities that support high-quality end-of-life care.
• Carries out other duties as assigned by the IDG/T.
• Administrative Support:
• Provides clerical support to office staff
• Participates in special projects/fundraisers.
• Professional Volunteer:
• Provides services according to the rules and standard of practice in their respective disciplines.
• Promotes hospice goals, services and philosophy to ensure quality of care
• Provides an environment that promotes respect for patients and their privacy and property.
• Follows the Hospice’s infection control policy.
• Promotes the Hospice philosophy and administrative policies to ensure quality of care
• Participates in the Hospice’s educational in-service programs as required.
• Timely submission of all required paperwork.
• Provides effective communication to patients, their family members, team members, and other health care professionals.
• Transportation: Reliable transportation and valid auto liability insurance

Requirements

Education and experience:

• Education: High School Diploma preferred for direct care roles.
• Transportation: Reliable transportation and valid auto liability insurance.
• Education: High School Diploma preferred. 
• Licensure: Must have current driver’s license if providing direct patient care. Professional volunteers must meet requirements of specific licensure rules. 
• Skills: Must be able to read and write in English and follow written and verbal instructions in English effectively. Demonstrates interest in the welfare of the ill and elderly. 
• Transportation: Criminal History: Reliable transportation and valid auto liability insurance (if providing direct patient care). Must agree to and pass a criminal history check (for direct care volunteers).

Physical Requirements:

1. Environmental and Working Conditions: Patients’ homes in various conditions; possible exposure to blood, bodily fluids and infectious diseases; ability to work flexible schedules; ability to travel locally; some exposure to unpleasant weather. 
2. Direct Patient Care Volunteers: Must have Hepatitis acceptance/declination for patient care volunteers. Ability to leverage Electronic Health Record, and review, assess, record or type data quickly and accurately.
3. Administrative Support Volunteers: Routine office environment; noise level may be moderately high; ability to work a flexible schedule
4. Mental Effort: Sitting is required. Requires the ability to always handle stressful situations in a calm and courteous manner. Requires working under some stressful conditions to meet deadlines and the Hospice needs.
5. Ability to communicate with patients, families, physicians, co-workers, and visitors to be able to exchange accurate information regarding patient condition and health status. Ability to exchange and express information by means of language and communicate information effectively.
6. Ability to hear the nature of sounds. Ability to give full attention to what other people are saying, take time to understand the points being made, ask questions as appropriate, and not interrupt at inappropriate times.
7. Ability to travel to patient homes and office/support center locations as needed to deliver care or for education purposes.

This description is a general statement of required essential functions performed on a regular and continuous basis. It does not exclude other duties as assigned.