Medi Hospice Fredericksburg & Northern Virginia Blog is designed to educate and inform the public about hospice options and services. Our Hospice serves the many cities and counties within the State of Virginia.

This Blog is dedicated to our wonderful hospice volunteers who contribute countless hours for free to make a difference in the lives of terminally ill patients.

Thursday, May 1, 2014

The Importance of Appreciating Hospice Volunteers!

Hospice Volunteer Programs are built on the compassion and caring of individuals in our communities who sincerely want to make a difference in the world.

         

  
  
They come with open hearts and the role of the Volunteer Coordinator is to build a strong foundation that begins with training and is watered with encouragement and one on one mentoring. 
 
The hospice volunteer experience is often intense, always unique and is a wonderful opportunity to touch lives during the end of life. The volunteer’s motivation is to give deeply from the heart, but it must be coupled with a sense of true purpose that comes with being a part of the hospice team.

Volunteers give to their hospices and their patients countless hours and many miles. Some patients do not live close by, but that does not generally deter a volunteer from making the trip to visit someone in need of a friendly visitor.  They wait patiently while tired caregivers take a much needed break. Even if the patient is sleeping hospice volunteers are willing to sit by the bedside and be the presence that reminds the soul they are not alone.

Hospice volunteers come from all walks of life. They are homemakers or lawyers; sales marketers or corporate executives. They are musicians and animal lovers who have trained pet therapy dogs. They are sewers and knitters who prefer to stay home and work tirelessly to make blankets and memory bears for our patients and their loved ones.





April is Volunteer Appreciation Month and hospices all over the U.S. are honoring their volunteers. This is the once a year event where hospice professionals say thank you to these selfless, altruistic people. 


Their contribution is invaluable and their service commendable. They deserve to be recognized, appreciated and honored. So every April we take a few hours to gather together our hospice managers, chaplains, social workers and nurses. We break bread together and share in each others lives. We award them with tokens to remind them how much their service means.

To all my wonderful volunteers of Medi Hospice, THANK YOU!! 


                                                                                          
Volunteering in hospice is a choice that creates rewards for patients and families. The ultimate surprise is the growth a volunteer develops from learning more about themselves with every visit to their patient. You learn to communicate in ways that increase your own appreciation of life. Your views of daily situations take on a holistic perspective. Nothing will ever be the same in your personal or professional life if you are correctly trained as a hospice volunteer.

 
  1. Must be 18 or over to volunteer.
  2. Weekend and evening hours are available.
  3. Maximum requirement is two to four hour per week.
  4. Locations will vary.
  5. Personal transportation required.

  So would you consider joining others on their last journey? 

We are actively growing our hospice volunteer program and we would like you to know that if you have a desire to become involving in making a difference in the lives of the dying we will give you that opportunity! Medi Hospice is located in Fredericksburg, Charlottesville and Manassas Virginia. We have a Volunteer Coordinator who will meet and discuss with you our volunteer opportunities. Should you desire to join our team call during normal business hours and ask for the Volunteer Coordinator.

   
For volunteer opportunities in Fredericksburg, Charlottesville or Manassas Virginia

Call Medi Hospice Volunteer
Coordinator
@540-361-7696