Hazel Burns Hospice

Stories For Caregivers - HBH Client/Caregiver and Volunteer featured in new web series titled "How We Die".

We're honoured to have our clients Jennifer and Michael along with volunteer Liz featured in a new web series spreading awareness on the evolution of our understanding of death, dying, and end-of-life care. The series is called "How We Die" and is the latest production from Stories For Caregivers which is also the largest online community for caregivers in Canada. The episode is called "The Caring Confidante" and you can view it at the following link: https://youtu.be/J1nHHmRGnhI

You can watch the rest of the series and learn more about Stories For Caregivers here: https://www.storiesforcaregivers.com/project/33

Photo courtesy of Stories For Caregivers.

Volunteers are at the heart of hospice

In-Home Hospice Volunteers provide emotional, social, spiritual and practical (non-medical) support for people living with a life-limiting illness, along with their families and Caregivers.

The impact that Volunteers have on the lives of our Clients is invaluable. Their compassionate presence and attentiveness can provide a deep sense of comfort and safety, while activities such as life reflection and legacy work may offer a renewed sense of meaning and purpose.

By visiting our Clients in their homes it provides them with the opportunity to maintain a sense of autonomy and to continue to surround themselves with the social and cultural traditions that are most valuable to them.

The In-home Volunteer program also provides respite support for Caregivers, to ensure that Caregivers are able to rest, take care of themselves and avoid burnout.

Time commitment

Volunteers typically visit clients for 2 to 4 hours on a weekly basis. We also require all volunteers to make a one-year commitment to the hospice.

Please note the following changes in response to the Covid-19 pandemic:

In order to ensure the safety of both our clients and volunteers all volunteer support is currently taking place remotely either by phone or online. Many of our clients are particularly isolated at this time and so providing support in this way is extremely valuable.

Currently our entire volunteer training is being made available via an online platform however once Covid-19 safety measures are lifted and home visits are resumed volunteers will be expected to complete a hands-on body mechanics training session in person.

Please note that due to Covid-19 measures there may be a wait time to complete the entire training process but that we encourage anyone interested in volunteering to please get in touch with us and/or send in a volunteer application (linked below).

Volunteer training

Please inquire about start dates for our next 30+ hour volunteer training.
Training includes both a classroom and online component. Classroom training sessions are held over several weeks (typically two weekday evenings per week) and are led by a number of engaging speakers working in the field of end-of-life care.

To download an application click here (.pdf) OR here (.doc)

Applications and inquiries can be sent to: volunteers@hbhospice.com.

Who are our volunteers?

Volunteers in Hospice are:

interested in giving their time, energy, wisdom and skills to provide person/family-centred care collaboratively as part of a team, to individuals and families facing life-limiting illness, death and bereavement
caring and compassionate, with excellent communication and listening skills
reliable, honest, flexible and open
aware that their role is not to “fix”, give advice or solve problems
willing to learn and grow personally and professionally
comfortable with openly talking about death, dying and bereavement
able to be present with people experiencing a range of emotions
aware of their own judgments and have a capacity to suspend them
committed to principles and practices that are inclusive, respectful and celebrate diversity
dedicated to their own self-care and well being

What should you expect from the volunteer role?

The In-Home Hospice Volunteer role is rooted in offering a compassionate and attentive presence to our Clients. Activities may vary depending on a Client's needs and interests. and we take care to match our Volunteers according to their own unique attributes and abilities. Individual visits usually last two to four hours and take place on a weekly basis.

A volunteer may offer:

Companionship and active listening
Caregiver respite
Assistance with writing, scrapbooking, story-telling and other legacy work
Reading out loud, playing board games, doing arts and crafts
Playing and/or listening to music
Watching movies and television
Running errands or accompanying someone to the store, an appointment, religious/faith services
Outings (i.e. going for coffee, to the park, a Community Centre)
Practical tasks related to mobility (getting in and out of bed or around the home)
Light meal preparation
Providing Complimentary Therapies such as Reiki and Therapeutic Touch
Supporting other self-care routines such as meditation and relaxation
Providing a variety of non-medical comfort measures, basic personal care and mouth care

Find out more about who we are

Please explore our site to familiarize yourself with our range of services and don't hesitate to contact us if you have any questions.

Thanks for stopping by!