Train Hospice Volunteers Online
After 32 years in the business of health care, and the last 6 years as a hospice care consultant, I have foundthat anyone wishing to volunteer wants validation and attention to the need to be of service. To begintraining immediately after a prospective volunteer expresses the desire to serve is validation of theimportance of the volunteer experience in hospice.I was amazed to discover that hospice volunteer training had never been presented in an online format. After extensive searching it was time to start my own training program because of the need to recruit volunteersimmediately. To train volunteers online would mean not straying from guidelines outlines in the MedicareConditions of Participation. The core concepts of hospice care are the foundation on which an agency can begin building a strong force of hospice advocates.How often have you attended an event like a health fair or made presentations to a club or church andsomeone approached you about becoming a hospice volunteer?What I have seen is the majority of people interested in being of service but never able to follow through onthe time commitment necessary for training.It is critical to make volunteering as easy as possible with continued support and resources to make eachvolunteer feel empowered to make a true difference. Online training is long overdue and ease of independentstudy will create a new stream of people into the lives of hospice patients.The success of your agency depends on many volunteers to not only meet the time requirement standards for patient care, but to be your army of marketers to your community. The more people you can train results inmore people in need of the hospice benefit being served timely and effectively. No volunteer can learn every role and responsibility from an online course. The education must beindividualized and reflect the requirements for their assignments.The volunteer who works in the office needs much less orientation than does the patient care or bereavementvolunteer. However, each needs specific training related to the basics of hospice.A successful hospice agency will recruit everyone that expresses an interest in serving and use the uniquetalents of each individual to fulfill special roles for their hospice. The role may not always be for patient care.Consider using every age group as volunteers for the following reasons not related to direct care:1.Media – use volunteers to help write articles for newspapers and magazines or commercials for radioand tv ads. The volunteer may be able to use connections in the media field to greatly reduce your agency costs for submitting information.2.Professional Therapies – music, art, pet, journaling, massage, aroma, and other alternative therapistscan offer consultative services to staff after taking a short online course that demonstrates the particular needs of hospice patients and those providing care.3.Local business – people in your community can train to identify themselves as volunteers and offer services such as reduced rates on their business offerings. Think of hairdressers, restaurants, artgalleries, natural food stores, veterinarians, chiropractors, florists, etc.
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