Hospice Volunteers

None — Hospice Care

Hospice is the term used to refer to a concept of care that emphasizes comfort, dignity and support for dying patients and their families. The services are sometimes offered in a hospital, nursing home or other type of health care facility. However, more than 68 percent of hospice patients receive care at home.

The concept of hospice dates back to medieval times, and was used to refer to shelters that were open to tired or ill travelers. In 1967, English physician Dame Cicely Saunders established the first modern hospice near London, St. Christopher's Hospice. The first hospice to be established in the U.S. was opened in 1974 in New Haven, CT. In 1982, Congress created a temporary Medicare hospice benefit to ensure payment of hospice services for Medicare beneficiaries. That benefit became permanent in 1986.

Today, the National Hospice and Palliative Care Organization estimates there are nearly 5,000 hospice programs in the U.S. In 2009, about 1.56 million Americans received hospice services. In fact, more than 41 percent of all deaths in this country occur in patients under the care of hospice program. The median length of time for hospice care is 21.1 days.

When hospice was first started, the majority of patients were diagnosed with some type of cancer. Today, the service is available to people with any illness who have an expected survival time of six months or less. Other common diagnoses in hospice patients include: heart disease, lung disease, neurological disorders, Alzheimer's disease or other type of dementia, and AIDS. Roughly 2/3 of hospice patients are over 65.

Volunteering for Hospice

While most hospice staff members are paid caregivers, a small number of dedicated people volunteer their services. Federal law requires hospices that receive Medicare funding need to cover at least five percent of patient care hours through volunteers.

Hospice volunteers rarely provide direct patient care. However, they can help in many other ways. Some common services that volunteers provide include: spending time with patients or families (visiting, reading, taking walks, writing letters, respite care for family caregivers or child care assistance), providing clerical services to hospice staff, delivering plants or gifts to patients and helping with fundraising. Tim Collins, Director of Volunteer Services for Life Choice Hospice in Dresher, PA, says hospices are especially in need of volunteers with specific skills, like arts and crafts, sewing or massage therapy, acupuncture and music therapy.

The National Hospice and Palliative Care Organization estimates, last year, 468,000 hospice workers provided 22 million hours of volunteer service. There are several reasons why people choose to volunteer with hospice. Many have had personal experience with hospice care for a family member or friend. Some volunteer because they find the experience to be very rewarding.

To ensure that the volunteer is a good match for the hospice program, candidates must undergo extensive training and a background check. Collins says volunteers must also sign confidentiality agreements, document their volunteer time and understand infection control procedures.

Volunteering for hospice can be emotionally challenging because workers often become close with the patients. Collins has a support program, called "Life Choice After Dark," that meets once a month to help volunteers express their emotional concerns or share their experiences with other volunteers. The hospice also offers counseling services for volunteers.

For information on becoming a hospice volunteer:

For general information about hospice:

Hospice Foundation of America National Hospice and Palliative Care Organization

WSOC