Junior Volunteers

[Anna]

Do you work with volunteers who are under 18, and if so, what kind of things do they do? Can they make visits alone, unsupervised by a hospice staff person or adult volunteer (I'm thinking in a SNF or RCFE)? I occasionally receive inquiries from teens but we have not had a program in place. Thanks.

[Greg Schneider]

Hi Anna,
In addition to Frances' great ideas, please be advised that HVA created the National Hospice Document Repository (NHDR) as a public service to the hospice community and the general public. This repository is the largest free-access collection of documents and articles relating to hospice and end-of-life care in the world.

The NHDR has training materials that have been contributed by other Volunteer Coordinators. If you click on the link above and then click the View Documents button, you will be taken to the document index. Look for the Teen Volunteer training documents.

Greg Schneider
HCF Creator
President, HVA

[Frances Shani Parker]

As former principal of a schoolwide service-learning school that was a national model, I commend you for involving these young people in service. I am a hospice volunteer who has witnessed the many rewards of intergenerational and other service activities involving schools, nursing homes, and hospice organizations. All participants benefited from the experiences.

The following student activities, which may overlap, should be performed under the supervision of a teacher or coordinator after partners plan together and agree on needs to be met. These are some ideas, compiled by volunteer coordinators and myself, that you might want to consider. Your additional ideas are welcome.

Elementary and Middle School Students 



1. Make biographical booklets of patients’ lives.
2. Make greeting cards and/or placemats for holidays.
3. Make fleece comfort pillows or other items.
4. Bake holiday cookies or other treats for patients/families.
5. Make care packages such as decorated bags with bottled water, cookies, crackers, tissues, candy, and reading material for patients.
6. Visit nursing homes to socialize with residents, showcase school-related activities, sing songs, or play games (Wii, checkers, chess, bingo, etc.) with patients.
7. Exhibit school projects such as artwork, photographs, science projects, booklets, posters, seasonal displays, etc.

High School and College Students

1. Do in-office work, including filing, faxing, and preparing admission packets.
2. Host tea parties, movies, and other social events at nursing homes.
3. Provide one-on-one time and attention by reading to, writing letters for, playing games with, or simply talking and listening to patients.
4. Videotape, record, or make booklets of patients’ life reviews.
5. Assist families with yard work, cleaning out the garage, planting flowers, small paint jobs, and home-building projects (i.e. wheelchair ramp).
6. Assist patients and families by doing errands, walking dogs, picking up groceries, etc.
7. If over age 16, train to become regular patient-care volunteers and take on a wide range of hospice volunteer opportunities, including music therapy, pet volunteer program, and general patient visits. This is a great time to give students hands-on experience in healthcare, especially if they are considering careers as a medical assistant, CNA, nurse, or doctor.



Frances Shani Parker, Author
"Becoming Dead Right: A Hospice Volunteer in Urban Nursing Homes”
This book has a chapter on school-nursing home partnerships.
“Hospice and Nursing Homes Blog”