Volunteers make a significant difference in the lives of Hospice Patients, and are an important part of the hospice care team.
Hospice volunteers possess very special qualities. They come from various backgrounds but they all have a desire to serve their community by providing support to people, and their families, who are facing the final stages of life. Volunteers are very important members of the Hospice Care Team.
Becoming a volunteer for Whatcom Hospice is a big commitment. Whether you’re caring for an individual during the final stages of their lives, sewing a blanket for one of the Hospice House rooms or assisting with filing, you can make a significant difference in the life of someone facing a terminal illness.
Indirect Care Volunteers do not have one-on-one contact with patients or their families. Rather, they assist Whatcom Hospice in a variety of ways, such as office help, deliveries, landscaping, sewing, home maintenance, etc. Training for an Indirect Care Volunteer is four-hours.
A Caregiver Volunteer is a Respite Care Volunteer. These individuals have direct contact with patients and families in a variety of settings, including a patient’s home, nursing home, adult family home or Hospice House. They generally do the kinds of things a good friend or neighbor might do, such as sitting with a patient while the caregiver takes a break, or providing companionship, light chores or meal preparation. Generally, they are able and willing to step-in and help in a variety of situations.
Because of the level of commitment involved, a Caregiver Volunteer must have excellent listening and communication skills. They should also be emotionally mature, dependable, flexible and non-judgmental. Training for a Caregiver Volunteer is 32-hours.
The volunteer newsletter of Whatcom Hospice.
We asked a Hospice chaplain, patient, family member, and a nurse to write a letter to someone about what they have learned through their hospice experience.
All Whatcom Hospice clinical services, including those provided at Hospice House, are delivered by PeaceHealth St. Joseph Medical Center with sustaining annual support provided by the Foundation. Whatcom Hospice Foundation and Peace Health are committed to maintaining a strong collaborative partnership that results in top quality end of life care for every patient in need, regardless of ability to pay.
Exceptional staff are stewards of our foundation’s mission and purpose.
Top quality, end of life care for every patient, regardless of ability to pay.
Whatcom Hospice Foundation is an independent 501(c)(3) charitable organization.
Gifts and donations are tax deductible to the greatest extent allowable by law.
Tax ID: 94-3146369
