DETROIT — Hospice of Michigan is seeking volunteers in Oakland County with a variety of special talents and skills.
The largest non-profit hospice and palliative care organization in Michigan has immediate need for volunteers with a variety of skills in Oakland County. A training session for new volunteers will be held in early August.
Volunteers are an integral, yet often invisible about part of a hospice team. Caregiving for a terminally ill loved one can be exhausting for family and friends, and a volunteer can provide opportunities to get away for a needed break.
Particular needs of HOM patients include:
• Care by licensed massage therapists and cosmetologists
• Pet visits, and pets are not required to be therapy pet certified
• Seamstresses to sew “memory bears” from the clothing of deceased loved ones
• Veterans to reach out to their fellow servicemen and women through the We Honor Veterans program, designed to address the unique needs of military personnel at the end of life
• Licensed music and art therapists
• Guitarists, pianists, and other musicians
• Tutors, photographers, and portrait artists for patients ages 4-21 enrolled in the Pediatric Early Care program
• Companionship and caregiver relief visits
• Bedside vigils to ensure that patients in their final hours will not die alone
• Special event set-up and outreach
• Crafters who can create birthday or other special occasion cards, or lead other hands-on projects
• Baking and delivering cakes and cookies to celebrate special occasions
• MyStories Program helpers to record special stories told by patients
Prospective volunteers will be required to complete a 12-hour training course where they will learn more about HOM, the principles of hospice, how to help patients, families and staff, and volunteer responsibilities. An optional four-hour grief support training is also available and highly recommended, though not required.
If you would like to learn more about volunteer opportunities for Hospice of Michigan or apply to volunteer, visit https://www.hom.org/?page_id=1239 or contact Alana Knoppow, volunteer services manager, at 248-303-6818 or aknoppow@hom.org.
For those who have experienced a major loss, HOM encourages a waiting period of one year before becoming a volunteer, in order to allow for the processing of grief.
