Hospice Volunteer Training and Support

Family Centered Hospice volunteers are people from all walks of life (seniors, retirees, students, ministers, homemakers, business people, etc.) who contribute just 1-2 hours each week helping our hospice program.

As a "Friend of the Family" Hospice Volunteer, you will receive:

• In-Depth Training and Orientation in Privacy Practices
• Hospice History and Philosophy of Care
• Communication Skills
• Emotional Support
• Faith & Spirituality Sensitivity
• Bereavement Support

You are provided with your own hospice handbook, i.d. badge and TB test. Upon successful completion of initial screening and training, you may be offered volunteer assignments that include one or more of the following: patient visits, hospice administrative support, and bereavement care support (requires additional training). On-going support and skills enhancement is provided via individual mentoring, supervisory visits, monthly in-services, field trips, quarterly newsletters, appreciation events, and by telephone. You will be trained to help hospice patients and their families maintain hope, independence, dignity and respect during one of the most significant transitions of life. To get started, download our volunteer application

Volunteer Training Sessions Near You

Family Centered Hospice serves patients in twelve counties within and around the Chicagoland area. It is likely one is within a 15-20 minute drive of your location. After we receive your application you will be contacted, interviewed, and may be invited to attend one of these valuable training sessions.

Schedule a Guest Speaker on Hospice Volunteerism

Hospice is a practice and philosophy of care that provides physical, emotional and spiritual support to persons who have been diagnosed with a terminal illness and have been given a prognosis of six months or less to live. Its primary focus is on palliative care providing comfort, dignity, hope, pain management, and symptom control for the patient, and emotional psychosocial support for the family. Contact a Family Centered Hospice volunteer coordinator to schedule a brief presentation for your association, religious group, educational group, or other interested party.

Student Hospice Volunteerism

Our volunteer program works closely with students from a number of colleges, universities and seminaries. These partnerships provide students majoring in health-related fields, theology, geriatrics, psychology and other fields of study the opportunity to receive supervised clinical experience, education, and end-of-life care training support while serving as hospice volunteers. If you are a student who would like to receive training and experience in end-of-life care, please contact a Family Centered Hospice Volunteer Coordinator.

Complete our on-line application

Download our Hospice Volunteer Application.