​"For what is needed at the end of life is not so much to add days to life, but to add life to the remaining days."

Volunteers are at the heart of hospice

Our In-Home Hospice Volunteers provide emotional, social, spiritual and practical (non-medical) support for people living with a life-limiting illness, their Caregivers and families.
 
We know that caring for someone at the end of life can offer a deeply meaningful experience for both the Client and Volunteer alike. It opens a window into a richness of human diversity, presenting unique social and cultural perspectives, and inviting exploration of personal legacy and concepts of self.

Our next volunteer training is in February 2019. For the schedule click here.
​To fill out a volunteer application click here.
Applications and inquiries can be sent to volunteers@hbhospice.com.

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

The in-home 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