Orange Hospice volunteers are a special part of our care team, making a difference in patients’ and their families’ lives by providing a variety of support services.
The volunteer team is made up of individuals who take time from their schedules out of their genuine kindness and desire to support those in their community. Volunteers are thoroughly interviewed, screened (health and criminal background checks), and trained by Orange Hospice to ensure they are knowledgeable about providing the best support possible.
Requesting Volunteer Services
Contact Orange Hospice at (714) 790-0594 or contact the Volunteer Coordinator at CL@orangehospice.net. The Volunteer Coordinator will determine if we have volunteers who are available to visit you and willing to perform tasks that you may request. If a volunteer is available, then visits can typically be scheduled within a few days.
If a volunteer is not available, please allow at least 3 weeks for the Volunteer Coordinator to recruit, interview, screen, and train a volunteer who is able to assist you. Volunteer availability is based on schedule, location, and willingness of volunteers to take on certain tasks. Please note that volunteer services are not guaranteed, but we will do everything we can to provide a volunteer to you if needed.
Scheduling Volunteer Visits
Typically, volunteers visit patients 1 to 2 times a week for about 1-3 hours each visit (maximum of 4 hours). However, you may also request a one-time visit if support is only needed for a specific day only.
To schedule, cancel, or reschedule any volunteer visits, please reach out to the Orange Hospice Volunteer Coordinator.
How Volunteers Can Support You
- Companionship – A volunteer may listen, reassure, converse, or just sit quietly with a patient. Other activities might include reading, playing or listening to music, playing games, or watching TV.
- Caregiver relief – The volunteer may stay with the patient, ensuring they have everything needed to be comfortable, while giving caregivers time to themselves to run errands, go to appointments, or rest.
- Practical services and errands – If they are open to it, the volunteer may assist with some chores to lighten the caregiver’s load. They can perform tasks such as helping the patient with grooming, dressing, brushing hair, polishing nails, feeding, changing bedding, light house-keeping, meal preparation, grocery/meal delivery and pet/ child care.
- Photography and video services – We have volunteers skilled in photography and film who can help capture portraits of patients and their families, or to help take Life Review videos for patients to keep and share their legacy after they pass.
- Art/Music enrichment – We have volunteers skilled in different types of arts, crafts, and musical instruments to provide fun and enjoyment.
Volunteer Restricted Tasks
Volunteers are not a replacement for caregivers or medical professionals, so they MUST stay away from certain types of tasks that are considered higher risk for harm. The types of tasks that volunteers cannot perform include:
- Using objects on a patient that can cut or break the skin, including:
– Cutting/filing nails, using a pumice stone – unless they have a current nail technician license
– Cutting hair – unless they have a current cosmetology license - Any type of medical-related care:
– Operating any medical equipment
– Applying or adjusting an IV or nasal cannula
– Administering medication (Though handing a patient medication bottles or a container with presorted medication is allowed)
– Cleaning or applying dressings to wounds
– Taking vital signs - Any type of hands-on care:
– Assisting with mobility exercises, moving arms/legs to help stretch – unless they have a current physical therapist license
– Full body massages (Light massages on hands and forearms ONLY are allowed)- unless they have a current massage therapist license
– Lifting or transferring the patient (bed to chair, chair to bed)
– Changing patient diapers
Volunteer Visit Rules and Regulations
If you schedule a volunteer visit, it is essential that you communicate with Orange Hospice for any need to cancel or reschedule a volunteer visit. If possible, please let us know at least 3 hours in advance for any changes to your visit. Once volunteer visits are scheduled, they are integrated into the patient’s plan of care, just like regular visits from a nurse, hospice aide, doctor, or medication prescription. Therefore, we kindly ask that these visits be treated with the same level of respect and consideration as our professional staff.
At the beginning of each volunteer visit, the volunteer and family must always agree upon the length of the visit. Volunteers typically stay about 2-3 hours (maximum of 4 hours), but their schedules may vary week by week. Please ensure you respect the volunteer’s time by returning at the agreed upon time to relieve the volunteer from their visit.
Orange Hospice’s office team will be the primary contact and liaison between you and the volunteer for coordinating visits.
