Volunteer Opporunities

Hospice volunteers are caring people who generously donate their time, effort and talents to hospice patients and families. There are several ways you can make a difference as an Iowa Hospice volunteer.

Patient Care Volunteer Program
Patient care volunteers provide support through companionship and friendship for both patients and caregivers, while working cooperatively with patients’ interdisciplinary team. Volunteers may be asked to help patients in whatever setting the patient considers home, whether it be their residence or a nursing facility. They may be asked to run errands, perform household duties, provide caregiver relief (stay with the patient while caregiver is away), read a book, newspaper or magazine to patients, or assist patients and families with closure activities.

Bereavement Volunteer Program
The bereaved are followed by Iowa Hospice for a minimum for 13 months after a loss. They will receive phone calls, mailed materials, and home visits from bereavement volunteers as needed. Volunteers can be paired up individuals who need someone to listen to them or spend some time with them, but do not need the expertise of a bereavement counselor. Volunteers can also participate in support groups, workshops, community services, condolence calls, and the annual memorial service held in each office location. Bereavement volunteers are required to take an additional training session called Advanced Bereavement Training (see Training for more information).

Vigil Volunteer Program
Vigil volunteers are those who are comfortable with supporting individuals in their final days or hours. They are on-call and serve Iowa Hospice families and individuals in a companioning role while patients are actively dying. They will answer questions, guide the family, and help make sure that patients are never alone in their dying days. These volunteers will be trained on what their presence means, the death and dying process, the mind, body and spirit philosophy, and the symptoms of approaching death. Vigil volunteers are required to take an additional training session called Advanced Vigil Training (see Training for more information).

Office Volunteer Program
Office volunteers do not have contact with patients directly, but can help Iowa Hospice in various other capacities in a wide variety of ways. These volunteers can work on mailings, filing, typing, answering phones, and other forms of office help. They may also work from their home making lap quilts, prayer shawls, cookies, and other types of comfort items. They could also help with events such as memorial services or preparing special meals that are requested by patients. Office volunteers would be required to attend Iowa Hospice 101, which is training on subjects such as the Iowa Hospice philosophy, what qualifies a patient for hospice care, confidentiality, standard precautions, and what their role is at Iowa Hospice.

Time Commitment
It varies with how much time you are able to give and what the need of our patients and families are at different times. Volunteer coordinators work with each volunteer to design patient assignments to fit what each volunteer is able to offer. Volunteer activities are flexible and involvement can be tailored to fit each volunteer’s schedule. Volunteers can choose what type of assignments they would prefer, when they are able to give of their time, and how often they are available.