Want purpose? Trying to Pay-It-Forward? Hoping to find good in the world? Put your extra time to beneficial use by completing our 3-day, in-person, hospice volunteer training program. Community volunteers are critically needed to provide in-home companionship or respite care to hospice patients, near your own home, in either San Luis Obispo County or Santa Barbara County. No prior experience is necessary. And recently heavy Covid restrictions for volunteers have been lightened by the CDC.
Central Coast Hospice has been providing medical and social services to those with a terminal diagnosis in all of San Luis Obispo County for over ten years and in all of Santa Barbara County for over five years. Central Coast Hospice will offer a Volunteer Training this Summer, and we are recruiting purpose-filled volunteers willing to serve this mostly Senior-Aged Community.
Compassionate Volunteers are a crucial part of our program. Hospice Volunteers provide supervision to patients while their caregivers take a break or run errands. Volunteers in this role do not do personal care (toileting, showers, diapers) or heavy cleaning. Central Coast Hospice Volunteers assist with light household tasks, provide emotional support and socialization, and help with miscellaneous tasks—like organizing family photos or helping the patient write letters to their loved ones.
Potential Volunteers must have an interest in helping others, have a caring nature, and be able to participate in a training program before starting their volunteer experience. Current and past Volunteers say they received far more rewards from volunteering than they felt they gave. They say they have learned more about themselves, their own families, and their own feelings about death, as well as the beauty of life, in the process.
The training will be held July 21, 28, & August 4, 2023, 9am-4pm. There is no charge for the classes, and Central Coast Hospice will provide snacks, lunch, and a binder full of training materials. Pre-registration and screening interview are required.
This Summer 2023 training will be held in San Luis Obispo, but we have other training options including an upcoming Online Remote Training for the Santa Barbara Regions.
The training will include such topics as: the history of hospice, its philosophy and mission, how hospice addresses the needs of the patient and family, the role of various hospice clinician team members, family dynamics, communication skills, dementia, grief & loss, and the role of the volunteer. Multiple presenters, videos, and examples will be given to convey the material and keep you engaged.
To register for the training, you can e-mail the Volunteer Coordinator at: info@cchh08.com. Or call Central Coast Hospice: (805) 540-6020 and ask to speak with the Volunteer Coordinator at Extension 729.
