Iowa Hospice Training

Volunteers complete training offered through Iowa Hospice free of charge. Those completing all sessions will receive a certificate of completion. The training includes the following sessions:

Session I: Overview of Iowa Hospice
• Basic Principles of Hospice Care
• Personal Death Awareness

Session II: Understanding Serious Illness
• Role of Hospice Nurse
• Role of Home Care Aide
• Pain/Symptom Control
• Care and Comfort Measures
• Universal Precautions

Session III: Wellness/Psycho-social
• Role of Hospice Social Worker
• Communication Skills
• Advanced Directives/Five Wishes
• Components of a healthy lifestyle

Session IV: Spirituality Care & Bereavement
• Role of Hospice Chaplain
• Needs/Goal of Spiritual Goal
• Role of the Bereavement Coordinator
• Understanding Bereavement and Grief

Session V: Role of the Hospice Volunteer
• Qualifications of a Hospice Volunteer
• Responsibilities of a Hospice Volunteer

Optional Sessions:

Advanced Bereavement Training is offered for those wishing to serve as a bereavement volunteer. Those completing the training will be eligible to apply to serve as a volunteer, however participants are under no obligation to do so. The training includes the following sessions:

Role of Bereavement Volunteer

Anticipatory Grief
• Identifying Anticipatory Grief
• Normal Signs and Symptoms
• Suggestions to Help

Complicated Grief
• Identifying Complicated Grief
• Normal Signs and Symptoms
• Suggestions to Help

Understanding the Grief Process
• What is Normal
• Normal Reactions
• Normal Grief vs Depression
•Stages of Grief

 Advanced Vigil Training is offered for those wishing to serve as a vigil volunteer. Those completing the training will be eligible to apply to serve as a volunteer, however participants are under no obligation to do so. The training includes the following sessions:

Role of Vigil Volunteer

What is Vigil Care
• Care Settings
• Communication and Documentation Processes

Skill Building
• Understanding near death awareness
• Communicating with the dying
• How to listen sensitively
• How to be comfortable with silence
• How to provide reassurance in trying times

Comfort Techniques
• Lighting
• Music
• Aromatherapy

Self Care for the Volunteer