The pain experienced by a hospice patient can be emotional and spiritual as well as physical. Patients and family members often find it helpful to speak with a counselor about the questions and anxiety associated with the end of life. All HSI employees respect the spiritual and lifestyle choices of our patients and their families. Volunteers work in harmony with the professional staff to provide patient and family support. As a friend who pledges to be with them through the uncertainties of the weeks ahead, volunteers offer patients and families a listening ear, a hand to hold, and the presence of a caring heart.
Services offered by the volunteers are as varied as the needs of the patients and families.
All volunteers receive specialized training before assignment to patients and families. There is no area of HSI where the expertise and enthusiasm of the volunteers is not a valuable asset. For more information about volunteers click here . HSI Bereavement Services follow family and caregivers for a year following the patient's death. Bereavement services may include personal visits, listening to the stories of the survivors, answering questions, providing helpful information concerning the grief process, and offering periodic opportunities for group support.