Volunteers are essential to the special care Providence Hospice provides. Whether a volunteer is helping families, visiting patients, consoling the bereaved or helping at the office, each contributes greatly to the quality of life for the people we serve.
If you enjoy:
- Listening
- Sharing a story
- Sharing a laugh
- Playing games or cards
- Sitting quietly at a bedside
- Helping with household tasks
- Serving a meal
- Providing office support
- Spending time with wonderful people
- Community education
- Being a part of a dynamic team
then you would enjoy being a hospice volunteer!
Qualities
Providence Hospice volunteers are compassionate men and women who want to make a difference in the lives of people who are approaching the end of life. Important qualities for hospice volunteers include:
- Emotional stability
- Dependability
- Patience
- Good listening skills
- Adequate resolution of past losses
It is recommended that a person wait at least one year following the death of a loved one before volunteering with hospice.
Volunteer commitment
- Contribute up to four hours a week, depending on the area of service.
- Commit to a minimum of one year of volunteer service.
Volunteer training
In the Portland area, Providence Hospice offers the Community Hospice Training Program, a free 28-hour course, several times each year. For information about the trainings please see next training.
Topics include:
- Introduction to hospice
- Diseases that patients face
- Effective communication
- Pain and symptom management
- Spiritual care giving
- Understanding loss
- Family dynamics
Additional training and conference opportunities are available.
For people in Clackamas County who wish to volunteer, training is offered twice a year, in the spring and fall. The 30-hour course is held in Oregon City on Tuesdays and Thursdays over a period of six weeks. The cost is $10. Instructor consent is required; please contact Marianne Wille at 503-215-3978 for more information.
In the southern Oregon area, to become a hospice volunteer you must first attend the volunteer training of approximately 28 hours. Contact our southern Oregon volunteer coordinator at 541-732-6532 to learn more.
Hospice volunteers login here.