Detroit, January 8, 2015 – Hospice of Michigan, the largest nonprofit hospice and palliative care organization in Michigan, is seeking volunteers to help support patient care.
While opportunities for an HOM volunteer are virtually limitless, some of the organization’s more specific and immediate needs include care by:
- Professional and licensed massage therapists, hairstylists and manicurists
- Art and music therapists
- Musicians who can perform at a patient’s bedside
- Volunteers with a pet. While a therapy animal licensed isn’t required, the animal must be current on all vaccinations and will be observed by HOM before working with patients.
“Volunteers are valued members of a hospice team and exemplify the core of what hospice is: community members helping those in their community to provide comfort at the end of life,” said Alison Wagner, volunteer program manager at HOM.
“We are particularly looking for volunteers who can share the beauty of music and art, the comfort of a new hairstyle or the companionship of a pet. Our patients and their families so appreciate these touches of grace, which are particularly important as life draws to a close.”
Prospective volunteers will be asked to go through a training course during which they will learn more about HOM, the principles of hospice, the grieving process and how to help patients, their families and HOM staff.
“The best volunteers have a passion for helping others and for our mission,” Wagner explained. “They are dedicated, compassionate, nonjudgmental and flexible. In addition to sharing their skills, they have the time and the willingness to make a difference in the lives of patients and their families.”
If you would like to learn more about volunteer opportunities for Hospice of Michigan or to sign up as a volunteer, visit https://www.hom.org/get-involved/ or contact Wagner at 313.578.6259 or awagner@www.hom.org.
For those who have experienced a loss, HOM encourages a waiting period of one year before becoming a volunteer to allow for the processing of grief.
About Hospice of Michigan
A nationally recognized leader in end-of-life care, Hospice of Michigan is the original – and largest – hospice in the state. The nonprofit cares for more than 1,700 patients each day, raising more than $4 million each year to cover the cost of care for the uninsured and underinsured. HOM offers a broad range of services to enhance the quality of life at the end of life, including At Home Support™, our advanced illness management program, community-based palliative care and pediatric care programs. HOM provides grief support and counseling, caregiver education and support, and education programs for physicians and healthcare professionals through its research, training and education arm, the Hospice of Michigan Institute. For more information, call 888.247.5701 or visit www.hom.org.