About
Volunteers serve as members of the Spartanburg Regional Hospice team by sharing skills and interests in a manner that provides comfort and enriches the quality of life for our patients. We welcome both direct patient care and administrative volunteers. We also have volunteer opportunities for veterans.
No task is too big or too small for a hospice volunteer. Often the most important thing you can do is just “be there” for patients to reassure them they are not alone, to hold a hand, to offer a smile or to just listen. For hospice volunteers, the personal rewards are enormous and many of our volunteers feel they gain more than they have been able to give.
Volunteers help patients and families focus on living. You can make a difference one life at a time.
Direct Patient Care Volunteers
Direct patient care volunteers serve on a regularly scheduled basis. Examples of service opportunities include:
- Companionship, friendly visiting, active listening, bedside sitting and letter writing
- Sharing hobbies and special interests, such as crafting, gardening, music, reading, sports and travel
- Assisting with errands like grocery shopping, collecting the mail or going to the gas station
- Homemaking tasks, such as light housekeeping, dishes, laundry and meal preparation
- Pet therapy
Administrative Volunteers
Administrative volunteers serve on a regularly scheduled basis. Examples of service opportunities include:
- Answering phones
- Filing paperwork
- Data entry and other computer-based tasks
- Community outreach, fundraising and special projects
- Flower arranging, making greeting cards and knitting/crocheting
Veteran Volunteers
Spartanburg Regional Hospice has partnered with the Veterans Affairs to provide specialized veteran-to-veteran volunteer services. The goal of this program is to pair veteran volunteers with hospice patients who have also served our country.
Veteran volunteers have the unique ability to relate and connect with one another, thereby creating an environment where life review and healing may occur.
The Importance of Veteran Volunteers
Veterans are part of a distinct culture with their own common language and experiences. When veterans interact, their common language and experiences can form a strong friendship. The companionship created between veterans has proven to be supportive for all involved.
Examples of service opportunities include:
- Assisting veterans in reminiscing and telling life stories
- Assisting in replacing lost medals
- Helping a veteran apply for benefits or learn about available assistance
- Telephoning veterans to ask how they are doing
- Educating veterans’ groups about hospice services by speaking at their meetings
- Participating in events that both celebrate and honor veterans
Volunteer Training
Volunteers receive specialized training to feel prepared and confident while serving patients and families. We offer an online training program for new volunteers that is self-paced and can be completed at home. Once the online training is complete, new volunteers will attend one in-person orientation class.
To maintain quality care for our patients and families, hospice volunteers are required to:
- Submit an application
- Provide two references
- Consent to a criminal background check
- Provide a statement of health from your physician
- Sign an agreement to protect patient privacy (HIPAA/confidentiality)
- Consent to a drug screen and tuberculous (TB) test to be completed by Spartanburg Regional Healthcare System
Annually, volunteers are required to participate in competency training provided by Spartanburg Regional Hospice.
Contact Us
Related Locations
News & Highlights
