Palliative Care Victoria

What does a palliative care volunteer do?

Volunteers offer friendship and support.

There are varied roles available to you if you wish to become a palliative care volunteer. These can involve hospital or home based patient and carer support, providing pro bono expert advice, administrative support and assistance with fundraising.

The majority of palliative care volunteers work in the home or inpatient palliative care setting. They can offer a wide range of services: being with someone while their carer goes out, shopping, providing companionship, taking someone for a drive or to an appointment, writing letters, minding children, writing someone’s life story, singing, answering the phone, making bereavement phone calls, helping organise a memorial service, helping with life enhancement projects, providing beauty treatments, gentle massage, reflexology, aromatherapy and other suitable complementary therapies; the list goes on …

For more information view the leaflet Volunteer Support Workers

Who can become a palliative care volunteer?

Anyone can volunteer – but palliative care is not for everyone!

Palliative Care volunteers are generally over the age of 18. In this work, life experiences and life skills are enormously beneficial. However, there are no formal qualifications or previous experience necessary – only the desire to be of service to palliative care patients and their families/carers and the willingness to learn from those they serve.

Volunteering in palliative care is an opportunity to be involved with people who are at one of the most critical phases of their life. Those wishing to become volunteers will usually have had some life experience that has touched them and made them more aware of the circumstances that face those living with a terminal illness. The desire to help others, learn more about grief and loss, and come to terms with their own mortality are all legitimate and worthwhile reasons to volunteer for palliative care service. Volunteering in palliative care offers the intellectual and emotional stimulation of having to deal with ‘the big questions’, such as the meaning of life and death, and gives an opportunity to reflect on one’s own values and priorities.

Volunteers tend to assess their own suitability after reading available information and attending introductory interviews and orientation seminars. Volunteer Managers say that emotional strength grows as volunteers ‘walk the talk’ and support each other along the way.

Volunteers essentially need to be good communicators and flexible in how they work. They also need to understand and accept the philosophy of palliative care. Perhaps one of the most important criteria is that volunteers should be happy to be with people and not feel they have to fix things.

Working in palliative care is one of the most rewarding volunteer choices anyone can make. Not only does it make a huge difference to the person who is dying and their family, but also to the volunteer’s own life. Volunteers learn to cherish each day, listen deeply and value life as a precious gift.

How much time will I have to commit?

Volunteer commitment varies – usually depending upon how much time volunteers can give and the organisations requirements.

Some organisations ask people to sign up for a given time, perhaps a year, because they have made a considerable investment in education, training and resources. Some services will also limit a volunteer’s time to, say, four hours per week and one patient.

Volunteers often move in and out of their volunteer role. Managers know that taking time out for study, holidays, work or family commitments is important; and that encouraging volunteers to pursue other interests while still remaining part of the team, avoids burnout.

What training and preparation is required?

Introductory training is required. The length of this free course and the topics covered vary between services. Most courses are up to 30 hours in length and include 3 to 4 hour sessions on such topics as:

• Introduction to palliative care
• The palliative care volunteer’s role
• Diversity
• Spirituality
• Communication skills
• Responding to loss and grief
• Basic Introduction to illnesses and their symptoms
• Death and dying
• Self care of the volunteer

Participants do not have to sit exams but do have to attend the whole course.

The organisation will invite new recruits to join once they have completed their introductory training course and taken part in a final interview.

Volunteers will be asked to continue to enhance their skills through experiential on the job learning and on-going training.

How do I become a palliative care volunteer?

You can contact your local palliative care service to express interest or seek more information. Once you have selected and contacted the organisation of your choice, you will probably be invited to attend an interview. Organisations conduct interviews so people can find out more about the volunteer job and the organisation can find the right volunteer for the job.