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Job description
It is surprising how many patients have no one visiting them. And facing end-of-life is not a time to be alone. If you have 3 hours a week to give to a stranger, or two, we’ll provide you an opportunity to fill your heart with purpose, by knowing that you are making a difference in someone else’s life. ASCEND HOSPICE welcomes your gifts of time and compassion!
Like all things worth doing, becoming a Hospice Volunteer is not easy. Regulations and best practice prescribe background and health checks and involved training; but doing these steps helps ensure that only the right people with the right intentions support our patients/families the right way.
When you are done with onboarding, you will be assigned to a situation (or more, if you want) near you, where you can befriend a patient that needs you. Your visits will stimulate the patient, support the patient and/or distract the patient, whichever they need on the day you visit.
ASCEND HOSPICE is a leader in the use of alternative modalities at the end of life, and you’ll be exposed to aromatherapy and learn how to provide a gentle hand massage in the training, as part of the tools you can use during your visits. But the main thing that you’ll be doing is visiting a lonely person, so that they are lonely no more.
Companionship Volunteers can also incorporate craft projects and music into their visits as a way to connect with the patient. And when the time comes, silence and presence are the focus of a visit, to honor the relationship you built and to be part of the initiative so No One Dies Alone. ( Ascend Hospice Volunteers who show a compassion and commitment to the mission will be invited to an online, certification training to be an End-of-Life Doula…At no cost to the Hospice Volunteer; we call it AscEND-OF-LIFE Doula Training.)
You do not have to have a medical background. You do need to be a nice person and enjoy a wide array of people, including all cultures and orientations. You also will need: time to give, transportation to get to assignments, and be at least 18 years old... And the flu shot is now required every flu season (As of a 2020 law, NJ employees/volunteers in hospitals, nursing homes, and home health agencies must be vaccinated, with the only approved exception being a valid medical reason.)
For more information contact the Volunteer Supervisor, by simply responding to this post. Conversations about exploring this special kind of care are welcomed!
Worksite address
edison, NJ, 08818, US
Who can apply
Review the original listing for work authorization, qualifications and employer requirements.