Any experience you can share with volunteering at a Hospice care provider?

[Anonymous]

I have long considered volunteering in some way at a local hospice facility and would be interested in any feedback -- positive and negative -- of local providers and specific recommendations. I live in the Oakton area.
Thank you

[Anonymous]

I don't have specific recommendations for you but I can tell you that this kind of volunteer work is HARD. Very rewarding, but very difficult emotionally.

I've done volunteer work with elderly nursing homes for different organizations and many people were on hospice.

I would say that you need to be strong emotionally and mentally, and be able to compartmentalize (most) of what you see and experience. There can be beautiful, heartwarming moments and there can be moments of distress and horror.

There can be family members who are lovingly helpful in the person's transition, and family members who refuse to be involved at all - despite the wishes of the dying person.

It is hard work but good work. I wish you all the best in finding out if it will fit for you, and thank you for being willing to spend your free time doing hard things.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I don't have specific recommendations for you but I can tell you that this kind of volunteer work is HARD. Very rewarding, but very difficult emotionally.

I've done volunteer work with elderly nursing homes for different organizations and many people were on hospice.

I would say that you need to be strong emotionally and mentally, and be able to compartmentalize (most) of what you see and experience. There can be beautiful, heartwarming moments and there can be moments of distress and horror.

There can be family members who are lovingly helpful in the person's transition, and family members who refuse to be involved at all - despite the wishes of the dying person.

It is hard work but good work. I wish you all the best in finding out if it will fit for you, and thank you for being willing to spend your free time doing hard things.

This was an excellent response. ❤️

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I have long considered volunteering in some way at a local hospice facility and would be interested in any feedback -- positive and negative -- of local providers and specific recommendations. I live in the Oakton area.
Thank you

Look at your local non-for profit hospice and see what they need and what you would like to do. I am a patient care volunteer and have been for almost 20 years. I now work exclusively with pediatric patients and their families. It is a lot. I have take breaks but always come back. My sister volunteers too and does a lot of organizing of supplies. It really depends on what is needed and what you can bring.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I don't have specific recommendations for you but I can tell you that this kind of volunteer work is HARD. Very rewarding, but very difficult emotionally.

I've done volunteer work with elderly nursing homes for different organizations and many people were on hospice.

I would say that you need to be strong emotionally and mentally, and be able to compartmentalize (most) of what you see and experience. There can be beautiful, heartwarming moments and there can be moments of distress and horror.

There can be family members who are lovingly helpful in the person's transition, and family members who refuse to be involved at all - despite the wishes of the dying person.

It is hard work but good work. I wish you all the best in finding out if it will fit for you, and thank you for being willing to spend your free time doing hard things.

Building on the quoted post, I’d suggest that while looking for opportunities to help, you also assess your resources to “fill back up” when your internal reserves get depleted. The program itself may provide these; the other volunteers and the professional staff may help; you may need to rely on trusted friends to listen; some people find help in religious community and observances. The point is that if you go in alone and try to do it alone without interior/spiritual backup, you are less likely to have a successful experience.