Volunteer Support

What Our Hospice Support Includes

Hospice volunteers are carefully trained and guided by the care team. Their role is flexible and always based on the wishes of the patient and family.

Volunteer support may include:

• Sitting with patients for companionship and conversation
• Reading aloud, listening to music together, or sharing quiet time
• Offering respite so caregivers can rest or attend to personal needs
• Providing emotional support through presence and attentive listening
• Assisting with light, non-medical tasks that bring comfort

Each visit is centered on respect, consent, and the patient’s individual needs. Families remain in control of how and when volunteers are involved.

How Our Hospice Volunteers Support Patients and Families

Volunteer support is one part of a broader hospice care approach that focuses on comfort, dignity, and presence. It exists to support both the patient and the family, without adding burden or obligation.

1. Emotional Comfort Beyond Medical Care. Hospice care addresses physical symptoms, but emotional and social needs are just as important. Volunteers help create moments of calm and connection, especially for patients who may feel isolated or families who are feeling overwhelmed. For some families, volunteer support means reassurance that their loved one is not alone. For others, it offers brief relief during long days of caregiving. Both forms of support matter. Volunteer involvement is coordinated closely with nurses, aides, social workers, and chaplains to ensure continuity and comfort.
2. Support That Honors Dignity and Choice. Volunteer services are always optional. Patients and families decide whether volunteer support feels right for them, and preferences can change at any time. This approach ensures that care remains personal and respectful, honoring cultural values, spiritual beliefs, and family dynamics. Hospice volunteers are trained to meet people where they are, without expectations or pressure.
3. Trained Volunteers You Can Trust. Hospice volunteers receive structured training before working with patients and families. This includes education on end-of-life care, communication, boundaries, confidentiality, and emotional sensitivity. Volunteers work under professional supervision and follow hospice care standards. Their role is supportive, not clinical, and always guided by the care plan. Volunteer services are part of comprehensive hospice care covered by Medicare and Medicaid for eligible patients.

Serving Families Across Southeast Louisiana

Volunteer support is available to hospice patients throughout Ascension Parish, Livingston Parish, Jefferson Parish, Orleans Parish, St. Charles Parish, and surrounding Louisiana communities.

Care is provided wherever the patient calls home, including private residences, assisted living communities, and nursing facilities.

When Volunteer Support May Be Helpful

Families often find volunteer services beneficial when:

• Caregiving responsibilities feel emotionally or physically exhausting
• A patient desires more social interaction or companionship
• Family members need brief, reliable respite
• Loved ones live at a distance or have limited availability

There is no right or wrong time to ask about volunteer support. Needs can change as hospice care progresses.