Also Known As:
Hospice volunteer companions, pet therapy volunteers, music volunteers, vigil volunteers
Type:
Trained community volunteer service
Primary Purpose:
To provide companionship, presence, and practical respite to patients and families, at no cost and beyond what paid staff can offer.
When It Applies:
From admission onward. Volunteers visit on a schedule that works for the patient and family.
Who Is Involved:
Trained volunteers, the volunteer coordinator, the patient (when able), and the family.
Where It Occurs:
At the patient’s home, in a facility, or wherever the patient is.
Duration:
As often as the family wants, once a week, twice a month, or on-call for special events.
Coverage:
Free to the family. Required under Medicare to be at least 5% of total care hours.
Key Focus:
Companionship, reading, music, life-story projects, errands, light caregiver respite, pet therapy, and vigil-sitting for actively dying patients.
Common Misunderstanding:
Hospice volunteers are not informal helpers. They are trained, background-checked, and supervised, and they often become some of the most beloved members of the team.
What Hospice Volunteers Actually Do
At Lifted, volunteers offer a variety of presence and support:
- Reading aloud to patients with vision loss or cognitive decline
- Playing live or recorded music, guitar, piano, hymns, oldies, opera, whatever the patient loves
- Sitting in companionship while the family caregiver runs errands
- Helping create life-review booklets, scrapbooks, or recorded interviews
- Pet-therapy visits with trained dogs
- Veterans pinning ceremonies and bingo at facility partners
- Vigil-sitting for actively dying patients whose families want someone present overnight
- Bilingual companionship for Spanish-speaking families
Why Volunteers Are Required
The Medicare Hospice Benefit requires at least 5% of total hospice patient-care hours to be provided by trained volunteers. The reason: hospice is meant to be community-rooted, not transactional. Volunteers represent the community caring for its own.
At Lifted, the volunteer program is run by a dedicated coordinator and supported by a full department. Volunteer hours regularly exceed the Medicare minimum.
Becoming a Hospice Volunteer in Texas
Lifted welcomes new volunteers across DFW, San Antonio, and Austin. Medical students, musicians, retired teachers, and community members all serve. Training covers the basics of hospice, communication with patients and families, infection control, and what to expect emotionally. Contact us to learn more.