FORT WAYNE, IND. – AUG. 21, 2023 – If you have a caring and compassionate heart and would like to help bring support and comfort to patients in their final weeks of life and their families, Parkview Hospice wants your help.
Parkview Hospice is currently seeking new volunteers to fill a variety of roles, ranging from bedside companionship to bereavement support to office support.
Hospice care aims to give patients the best possible quality of life at the end stages of life. Parkview Hospice provides comfort and emotional support wherever a patient calls home, whether that’s their personal residences, in a nursing or assisted living facility, or at the Supportive Care Unit (SCU) at Parkview Hospital Randallia.
“Hospice care is so important to patients and their families, and our volunteers – many of whom have seen firsthand the benefit of hospice care for their loved ones – play a critical role in supporting both during those final days,” said Jessica Glad, volunteer coordinator, Parkview Hospice. “We’re looking for more volunteers who are willing to serve as empathetic allies ready to help families through the challenging experience of saying goodbye.”
Assisting the hospice program can take a variety of shapes as volunteers have flexibility to customize their involvement. Volunteers can opt to take an up-close-and-personal role by making companionship visits to patients or by giving caregivers a break from their duties. They can also make comfort visits at end of life or help provide bereavement support to families over a 13-month period after the hospice patient has died. Other volunteer duties range from placing "tuck-in" phone calls to patients and families to ensure their needs are being met, writing letters to patients or sending encouraging mail to families.
Volunteers may also choose to take on more clerical roles such as sending out anniversary of death cards and bereavement mailers, working on admission binders and folders, helping set up memorial services or creating memorial service invitations.
Volunteers are expected to work a few times per month, but the time commitment is also customizable based on role and availability.
All volunteers are required to complete a physical through Parkview Occupational Health, including a drug screen and tuberculosis test, as well as a background check. Volunteers then must complete three hours of in-person training and nine hours of online training to ensure they learn and feel comfortable with their tasks.
After completing training, volunteers can choose to support individuals who are located most convenient to them in Allen County or other parts of the Parkview service area in northeast Indiana.
Volunteers must be 18 years old or older. High school and college students who are at least 18 are eligible to volunteer.
Those interested in volunteering should fill out an application online at Parkview.com/hospicevolunteer. A volunteer coordinator will then contact you with more information about upcoming training dates.
For more information, contact Jessica Glad at Jessica.Glad@parkview.com or call 260-373-9800.