Over the years I have learned a lot about my VITAS Innovative Hospice Care® co-workers, both in Broward County and in Palm Beach County. Each of our patients is cared for by an interdisciplinary team that includes a doctor, nurse, hospice aides, social worker, chaplain and volunteers. All share an equal role in providing quality end-of-life care.

 

Am I saying volunteers are as important as doctors at VITAS? Yes – that’s exactly what I’m saying. In fact, the Medicare law that defines hospice care requires that volunteer hours are equal to at least five percent of the total patient care hours provided.

Our trained volunteers bring heartfelt energy, love, dedication and compassion to the patient’s bedside which adds so much to the professional skills of the entire the team. The patients and families experience end-of-life care in a richer and more profound way because of the contributions of its volunteers.

 

“VITAS volunteers are as diverse as the patients they serve, encompassing all ages, nationalities, ethnic backgrounds and lifestyles,” says Cathy Agosti, VITAS volunteer services manager in Miami-Dade and Monroe counties. “Some volunteers are retired; others are working professionals or students. We even have volunteers who are homebound.”

 

“Some volunteers are moving through their own grief process,” adds Anne Warren, VITAS volunteer services manager in Broward County. “Having benefited from the assistance and support of VITAS, they decided that becoming a volunteer is an appropriate way to honor their loved one. The understanding and compassion from someone who has experienced a similar loss often brings comfort to other patients and their loved ones.”

They arrive wearing the bandanna and photo ID badge that identify them as VITAS Volunteers. They offer comfort, a welcome distraction from pain and illness, and help people feel less lonely. They leave their patients smiling, more relaxed – and perhaps with a bit of shedded fur on them.

 

They are the VITAS Paw Pals®, a team of loving animals – and their owners – who are specially trained to visit VITAS patients and offer a special kind of friendship that only four-legged friends can provide.

Animal visits can bring hospice patients a welcome change from their routine, says Christie Geltz, VITAS volunteer services manager in Palm Beach County. “People become more active and responsive during and after an animal visit. Petting a dog or cat actually reduces a person’s blood pressure and makes it easier for him or her to smile and talk.”

For children and adults who are dealing with the loss of a loved one, a VITAS “Memory Bear” can offer a sense of security and a soft, comforting memory during a time of grieving. Using a favorite shirt, sweater, robe or other treasured article of the deceased’s clothing, volunteers create a small, stuffed bear to provide family members and friends with a visible, happy memory of their loved one.

 

“Families just fall in love with Memory Bears. And from a bereavement standpoint, to have something tangible to help in remembering a loved one is very healthy,” says Karen Modell, VITAS bereavement services manager in Palm Beach County. “Essentially the bear symbolizes the loved one and provides an opportunity for happy reminiscences. Memory Bears give families permission to hold on to something of value. Adults love them – and hug them – as much as kids do.”

 

Whatever their strengths or interests, volunteers find special ways to make patients’ eyes light up, says Agosti. “Volunteers bring to the bedside a heartfelt energy, love, dedication and compassion that enhance the professional skills of the rest of the team,” she says. “Hospice is a richer and more profound experience because of the contributions of its volunteers.”