🐕 Bring your dog to create joyful moments — sparking conversation, sharing smiles, and lifting the spirits of hospice patients.

Volunteer and dog visits offer hospice patients a unique kind of comfort.

Unlike medical staff, who must focus on clinical care, or family members, who are often concerned with progress and needs, volunteers are simply there to be present — to listen, share stories, or sit quietly. This creates a calm, pressure-free environment where patients can truly relax, feel valued, and enjoy the moment without the distractions of expectations or medical focus.

🐾 How Dog Visits Help:

The unconditional love and gentle presence of a dog can lower anxiety, lift mood, and reduce feelings of loneliness. Petting or cuddling a dog can trigger calming, feel-good hormones, helping patients feel more relaxed and grounded. Dogs also spark conversation, bring smiles, and give patients something joyful to look forward to — transforming a difficult day into one filled with warmth, connection, and comfort.

🐾 Next Steps

If you’re interested in becoming a volunteer — with or without a dog — please share a few dates and times you’re available for an in-person interview. We serve a 60-mile radius from our Wichita office, so we can meet at the office or anywhere within that area that’s convenient for you.

We’ll guide you through each step of the process and help you find the volunteer role that’s the best fit for you.

👉 Please click "I want to volunteer" or call 316-315-6425 to schedule your interview and start making a difference today.

💜 Enhabit’s Mission & How It Aligns with Hospice Volunteering

At Enhabit Home Health & Hospice, our mission is to provide A Better Way to Care® — delivering high-quality, compassionate care that honors dignity, celebrates life, and supports patients and families every step of the way. We believe that every person deserves to spend their final chapter surrounded by comfort, connection, and respect, and we are committed to making that possible.

Hospice volunteering is at the very heart of this mission. Volunteers extend the circle of care beyond clinical needs, offering something that medicine alone cannot provide — human presence, companionship, and emotional support. Whether it’s sharing a conversation, reading a book, bringing a therapy dog for comfort, or simply sitting quietly beside someone, volunteers create moments of peace and joy during one of life’s most meaningful journeys.

By giving their time and compassion, hospice volunteers help ensure that patients and families experience not just care, but connection, comfort, and dignity — fulfilling Enhabit’s mission to make every day matter.

We have a dedicated Volunteer Coordinator who will guide you through every step of the process and help you complete all the requirements, so you can start visiting patients and making a difference as soon as possible.

📝 Volunteer Requirements

To become an approved hospice volunteer with Enhabit Hospice, you’ll need to complete the following steps:

✅ Submit a volunteer application – Start the process by filling out the application form.

✅ Complete a drug test – Paid for by Enhabit.

✅ Complete a two-step TB test – Both steps are required and paid for by Enhabit.

✅ Onboarding training – About 8 hours total, offered in a hybrid (online + in-person) format.

✅ Background check – A Kansas state background check is required. (Social Security number is needed to process this form.)

✅ Driver requirements (if driving to patient visits): Provide a copy of your driver’s license and current auto insurance card with your name listed on the policy.

🐾 If participating in Comfort Paws (dog visits):

• Dog must be at least 1 year old
• Must have completed a basic obedience class
• Must be up-to-date on vaccinations
• Must be friendly, calm, and comfortable around people

📍 Age Requirement: Volunteers can start at age 14.