Volunteer

What do Volunteers Do?
Requirements
Training
Support for Volunteers
How do I Apply?

There is a place for you as a Kaiser Permanente Hospice volunteer. The rewards of caring and sharing are beyond measure. Volunteers are part of the Kaiser Permanente Hospice Team that offers free, supportive non-medical, services to individuals and their families during the final phases of life, to loved ones throughout the grieving process, and to educate the community regarding issues related to death and grieving.

Kaiser Permanente Hospice volunteers are concerned men and women of all ages who willingly give of their time and talents to help Kaiser Permanente Hospice families in many ways. They come from all walks of life, bonded by the mutual desire to serve the community. They are frequently family or friends of former hospice patients, or members of the Kaiser Permanente community. They can bring that unique perspective to their support of others who are experiencing Kaiser Permanente Hospice services.

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What Do Volunteers Do?

Volunteers are the heart of the Kaiser Permanente Hospice team, providing support in a wide variety of ways:

	Companionship to direct care of dying individuals through
	Emotional support Friendship and conversation Read aloud and play games Assist with projects and activities Errands and transportation
	Relief for the family and other caregivers
	Help care for family pets
	Office Assistance
	Bereavement
	Spiritual Care
	Foreign Language Translation
	And through their other special talents and experience

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Requirements

Anyone with a caring heart and time to share can contribute to the Kaiser Permanente Hospice program. We are looking for volunteers who are able to adjust to loss, and who have a positive outlook on life, a nonjudgmental attitude, a sense of humor, reliability, maturity, compassion, and common sense. If you have some minutes in the day then we can provide moments in time.

Volunteers must complete an application form, provide certification of a negative TB test within the past year, and two references. If you plan to use your own car to visit clients in their home, then we will also need photocopies of a driver’s license and proof of insurance.

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Training

	We provide sixteen hours of initial training in Kaiser Permanente Hospice philosophy and principles, confidentiality, management of pain and other symptoms, family dynamics surrounding terminal illness, grief and loss, and how to support families experiencing all this.
	Volunteers must provide certification of a negative TB test within the past year, photocopies of a driver’s license and proof of insurance.

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Support for Volunteers

Monthly Meetings
Volunteers meet monthly to share their experiences with each other. They are also provided inservices to help them become more comfortable and more effective in their work. Recent topics include:

	Active Listening Techniques
	Ethical Wills
	Working with difficult families
	Cross-cultural support

Newsletter
Volunteers receive a monthly newsletter with articles of interest, volunteer opportunities, poetry, and recognition of their contributions.

Further Training
Additional training is offered in specialized areas like bereavement support, working with groups, feeding difficult patients, and safety in transfers.

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How Do I Apply?

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