Hospice & Transitions

Volunteers offer emotional, spiritual, and social support to patients in their last weeks and months of life, and their families. Direct care volunteers provide companionship, socialization and a supportive presence to individuals living with a life-threatening illness, and their families. Volunteers must complete a 3-phase onboarding process, consisting of online and live training training, via video call. Additionally, hospice volunteers staff the Transitions program which provides caring support for the seriously ill. 

Additional Information for Hospice Volunteer Roles:

JSSA Hospice volunteers provide a wide range of services to our patients and their families.  These specially trained volunteers bring a comforting and supportive presence to our patients. 

 

Volunteers provide: Direct care services

  • Companionship – can include reading, walks outside, etc. 
  • Respite care-support for the family who needs a break to shop, shower or sleep undisturbed
  • Vigil or 11th hour visits
  • Transportation-to appointments, hairdresser, or grocery store
  • Errands-shop for groceries or necessities
  • Help with letters, or life review
  • Arts, crafts, & games (jewelry making, yarn art lessons, card games, puzzles, etc.)
  • Music (live musicians or stream music)
  • Massage therapy visits (requires additional documentation)
  • “Hospet” visits with certified dog & handler teams (requires additional documentation)
  • Healing touch & Reiki (requires additional documentation)
  • Companion Calls
  • Tuck-In Calls (requires additional training)
  • Bereavement Calls (requires additional training)
  • Interpreter assistance (American Sign Language, French, Spanish, German, Mandarin, Russian, Hebrew, Italian, Serbian, Bosnian, Croatian, Hindi, Vietnamese, and many other languages and dialects) 

 

Volunteers provide: Indirect Care/Admin support services

  • answering the hospice office front desk phones
  • processing and distributing PPE to clinical frontline personnel
  • assisting with mailings 

Requirements for becoming a Hospice & Transitions Volunteer:

  • Complete Phase 1, 2, and 3 of onboarding training – Phase 1 & 2 are completed online, at your own pace. Phase 3 is a live training via video call, usually on a  weekday afternoon or on a Sunday morning, for 4 hours
  • Provide us with a head shot/picture for us to use for your JSSA Volunteer ID badge
  • Provide documentation of influenza vaccination within the last 12 months
  • Submit to a background check, and if driving patients, an MVA check
  • Submit 3 References – we will email three of your references with a reference form for them to complete and return
  • Complete a TB test (at our office, free of charge) unless you have a copy of your own TB test results from the past 12 months
  • Complete HIPAA Training – online video and quiz
  • Complete Compliance Training – online video and quiz 
  • **At this time, volunteers who provide direct care to Hospice patients or Transition clients in person, must be fit tested for an N-95 respirator mask, and must adhere to all OSHA; JSSA agency, and JSSA Hospice department practices and protocols