Great Lakes Caring, formerly Great Lakes Home Health and Hospice and In-House Hospice & Palliative Care, is looking for compassionate volunteers willing to donate their time to support clinicians and office staff in giving quality end-of-life care to local hospice patients and their families.

Due to the company's continuous growth and expansion across the Midwest, volunteers are needed to visit patients and engage in activities such as playing music or singing, working on a craft project or sharing a special talent, or simply providing companionship through listening, talking, or holding a hand. They often provide respite care, allowing family members and caregivers to take a much-needed break. Patients enjoy and appreciate visits from people who want to spend time with them.

 
Hospice is a Medicare benefit program and regulations require that at least five percent of patient care hours be provided by volunteers. Great Lakes Caring Hospice currently has more than 250 volunteers who dedicated 26,375 hours in 2010 to ensure each patient received quality care. Volunteers are an essential part of the Great Lakes Caring Hospice team.

There are also volunteer opportunities within the Great Lakes Caring Hospice offices assisting staff with mailings, filing, computer work, paper-shredding, and other special projects. Additionally, volunteers can offer their time by making home comfort items, such as slippers, shawls, blankets, and dolls; providing pet therapy with trained animals; or giving vigil and bereavement support.

Great Lakes Caring offers in-depth training to prepare volunteers for this important and rewarding work. To learn more about the volunteer program, call 1-800-311-5365 and/or apply online at the Great Lakes Caring website www.greatlakescaring.com.