For Volunteers

Volunteers are vital members of the palliative care team. The Canadian Virtual Hospice recognizes that palliative care volunteers spend their time supporting some of the most vulnerable members of our society. The dedication and support shown by volunteers is one reason palliative care is so widely regarded as compassionate care.

For Volunteers is intended for volunteers and volunteer managers to showcase and share valuable resource material so that we may benefit from each other’s experiences. 
 

Volunteer Resources
Becoming Dead Right: A Hospice Volunteer in Urban Nursing Homes
This book honors every person's entitlement to a peaceful, pain-free death, with true stories about hospice patients and... read more...
Celebrated Lives
Testimonials from families often recognize the important role of the volunteer as a member of the health care team and the... read more...
Communicating at the End of Life: Finding Magic in the Mundane
Recounts the stories of Foster and six other volunteers and their communicative experiences with dying patients, using communication... read more...
In the Midst of Life: A Hospice Volunteer's Story
A memoir that captures the patient's need to have some one to talk to, listen to, and just be with. The author describes... read more...
Izzy & Lenore: Two Dogs, An Unexpected Journey, and Me
The author discusses his experiences taking two trained hospice volunteer dogs to visit homes and nursing facilities. read more...
A New Way to Understand Flow and Anxiety and States In Between for Hospice Palliative Care Volunteers
Written by David Pike, a volunteer at Calgary's Agape Hospice, this article highlights a new way for volunteers to understand... read more...
Twelve Weeks in Spring: The Inspiring Story of Margaret and Her Team
When Margaret Frazer learned she had terminal cancer, many of the people whose lives she had touched developed into a smoothly... read more...
Volunteer Stories
Some people think volunteering with Hospice requires special people. If there's one lesson Hospice work teaches, it's that... read more...
When Autumn Comes: Creating Compassionate Care for the Dying
Based on her years of experience as a hospice volunteer, the author offers practical advice and thoughtful reflection on... read more...
When Evening Comes: The Education of a Hospice Volunteer
Andreae's experiences as a freelance writer and mystery author are evident in this account of her experiences as a hospice... read more...

For more information about becoming a volunteer, contact your local or provincial palliative care office.

Topics,  Books, Links and More, and Programs and Services are your source for accurate and detailed information on palliative care. Feel free to print and share this information.