Hospice Volunteers

Hospice volunteers are an important part of our team approach to the care of our hospice clients.  Volunteers supplement the professional services provided by our Hospice staff.

Hospice volunteers allow a family member or caregiver the opportunity to take a walk, a nap or run an errand. Volunteers spend time reading to or talking with a client. Hospice volunteers may also do light housekeeping, prepare a meal, or run errands. Occasionally, a volunteer may take a client out for a short ride or spend time in the home, reading or playing with a client’s child.

Our compassionate Hospice volunteers are always there to listen when a client or family member just needs to talk.

Our Hospice volunteers:

  • Hospice volunteers help to keep a client safe, comfortable and less anxious or lonely by offering respite time for the family and companionship for the client
  • enhance the quality of end of life for Hospice clients and caregivers
  • provide valuable support to Hospice staff
  • assist with Agency events, fundraising activities, and administrative tasks

Our Hospice Volunteers are saying…

“Every patient you sit with is a gift.”

“I saw the kindness that Hospice showed to my father and my friend and I wanted to give back.”

“The feeling of knowing I’m helping the family” and “the contact with the patients.”

Our volunteers are carefully chosen and supervised and complete a comprehensive training program.

Hospice Volunteer Training

Franklin County Home Health Agency offers a comprehensive 16-hour training course for anyone interested in volunteering for Hospice or learning more about end-of-life care.

The training is offered at our St. Albans office on 3 Home Health Circle and is held on a weekly basis, generally in the evening.

Volunteers are needed throughout Franklin County. The training will prepare you to volunteer in the homes of terminally ill clients, to offer respite to caregivers and compassionate support to our Hospice clients.

Training is provided by skilled professionals, in a variety of formats, to enhance the learning experience. Each participant receives a binder with information and resource material for each session.

Training Sessions include:

  • an introduction to hospice and the role of hospice volunteers and developing active listening skills
  • communications / family dynamics
  • care and comfort measures / infection control / good body mechanics
  • a discussion with a spiritual panel, ethics, and cultural awareness
  • advance directives / personal death awareness / grief and bereavement issues
  • the role of the funeral director
  • Alzheimer’s disease and related dementias / cancer and other common terminal illness
Hospice Volunteers

Franklin County Home Health Agency
3 Home Health Circle
St. Albans, VT 05478

info@fchha.org   covid@fchha.org

ph: 802-527-7531   fax: 802-527-7533