Hospice Volunteer, Feeding and Nutrition

We are VITAS Healthcare, the nation’s leading end-of-life care provider since 1978. Our priority is to care: For our patients, for each other, and for the future.

Hospice Volunteers at VITAS serve in two meaningful capacities, patient care and administrative -- each playing a vital role in supporting our mission of delivering exceptional care to patients and families.

• Administrative Hospice Volunteers play a vital behind-the-scenes role at VITAS, offering clerical & organizational support that helps our teams deliver exceptional care to patients & families.
• Patient Care Hospice Volunteers bring comfort, companionship, & emotional support to patients & families during end-of-life care. They offer light assistance, respite, & a caring presence— sometimes extending that support through gentle bereavement care for loved ones. Volunteers serve in homes, nursing facilities, or Inpatient Hospice Centers, complementing the clinical team with heartfelt, non-medical care tailored to each patient’s needs.

Feeding and Nutrition Volunteers provide essential support to hospice patients in nursing home settings during meal times. This role is focused on the "gift of sustenance," where they combine practical assistance with warm companionship to ensure patients can enjoy their meals at their own pace. It is a high-impact, low-time-commitment role that offers instant gratification by directly improving a patient’s daily comfort and nutrition. This is a great opportunity for nutrition science/dietetics or speech-language pathology students applying for graduate school as well.

ROLE RESPONSIBILITIES, MAY INCLUDE:

• Helping with clerical tasks, data entry, filing, friendly phone calls, newsletter prep, & keeping our supply room organized.
• Dropping off supplies, groceries, or medications to patients & caregivers.
• Taking part in Veteran pinning, community fairs, & VITAS booths to share our mission & connect with others.
• Making proactive & bereavement check-in calls, listen with care, & share any concerns with the team.
• Supporting with other meaningful tasks as they arise.
• Logging/documenting your volunteer activities/hours promptly.
• Greeting visitors with warmth, offer tours, play soothing music, help with light tidying, & alert staff to call lights.
• Participating in team meeting, trainings, & in-services as required.
• Performing other duties as assigned.

FEEDING AND NUTRITION VOLUNTEER RESPONSIBILITIES:

• Accompanying residents to the dining room, helping prepare them for their meal, and assisting with cutting food or serving beverages.
• Providing gentle encouragement and, when necessary, assisting patients with the physical act of eating.
• Offering a "listening ear" and engaging conversation to make the dining experience more social and enjoyable.
• Helping the care team by accurately recording the patient’s food and beverage intake.
• Completing VITAS-provided training on communication skills, the dying experience, and specific mealtime assistance techniques.
• Providing as little as one hour of service during flexible mealtime shifts (Available to volunteers 18 and older; background check required).

ROLE REQUIREMENTS:

• Upholding HIPAA regulations & treating all personal information with respect & confidentiality.
• Staying connected with VITAS staff to collaborate and support care.
• Compassion, empathy, reliability, and patience.
• Being team-oriented & aligned with the VITAS hospice philosophy.
• Comfortable working with diverse cultural & spiritual backgrounds.
• Being dependable, punctual, & consistent in scheduling.
• Completion of applicable VITAS onboarding, volunteer training & ongoing education.
• Practicing infection control measures per VITAS standards, policies, & procedures.

ADDITONAL ROLE RESPONSIBILIES TO PROVIDE PATIENT CARE:

• Providing meaningful companionship & emotional support to patients & caregivers through light homemaking, transportation, & respite care.
• Following the patient’s plan of care, volunteers ensure each interaction is compassionate, purposeful, & tailored to the patient’s assessed needs.
• Relaying meaningful insights & observations to the hospice team & Volunteer Manager regarding patient care as necessary.
• Documenting each care-planned visit with a patient care volunteer note to ensure volunteer support is recognized & contributes to compassionate care.

REPORTS TO:

Reports to Team Manager, Volunteer Services Manager, or designee.

To learn more about volunteering with VITAS, please visit out volunteer page: https://www.vitas.com/volunteer