Hospice care requires contributions from a whole host of individuals. From physicians and nurses to support staff and administrators, hospice is literally built upon teamwork. One of the most critical components of the team is volunteers. Without volunteers, hospice care is impossible.

Medicare actually requires that any hospice has a group of specially trained volunteers. If a hospice does not have them, it cannot continue to operate. Truly, volunteers are an essential part of the hospice experience. Here are a few ways you can help by volunteering:

1. Assist with patients, families, and daily tasks. Spending time with patients and enabling family members to recharge is one of the most significant roles that hospice volunteers play. From reading and talking to simply providing companionship and listening, volunteers give patients priceless gifts through their presence alone and allow family members to get even a few brief moments off. Volunteers are pivotal for families in other ways as well. Unfortunately, life does not stop while a loved one is dealing with end of life issues. While a family member is providing vigilant care other matters may become neglected. Hospice volunteers can assist families with day-to-day tasks helping to relieve their burdens and prevent them from feeling completely overwhelmed.

2. Assist with the administrative side. In this role, volunteers can provide valuable help in the office and ensure that things continue to run smoothly. Whether they provide clerical assistance or act as willing and able bodies, administrative volunteers are key to the success of hospice.

3. Educational outreach. Teaching the community about the benefits of hospice care as well as answering questions and concerns that may arise are tremendously important. Furthermore, the option exists for volunteers to aid in fundraising. Obviously, without financing, none of hospice’s goals can be achieved. It is always important, therefore, for a hospice to have people who are able to help raise financial support.

If you are in the Chattanooga area and are interested in volunteer work, perhaps you should consider volunteering at Hospice of Chattanooga. For more information or to find out how you can assist the organization and the families relying upon it, please visit https://www.hospiceofchattanooga.org/.