BURKE COUNTY, NC
828-879-1601

Volunteer Caregivers

 
    

What if there was someone you could rely on when you needed a break? A kind, supportive person who understands what it's like to be a caregiver — someone you know will help?

There is someone to call: A Patient Care Volunteer.

Your Allies in the Daily Struggle

Any Burke Hospice patient can request a volunteer join their Care Team. We highly recommend including a volunteer because of the valuable support they can provide to caregivers and families.

Most of our Patient Care Volunteers were once helped by hospice themselves. They were caregivers to parents, siblings, spouses, children. They felt the same stresses and struggles you may be feeling right now.

Every Patient Care Volunteer will have his or her special experiences and insight to share with your family. Their primary goal is to ease the stress on patient and caregiver.

  • Give "rest breaks" for tired caregivers
  • Keep patients company with social visits
  • Listen - Provide emotional support
  • Check in with friendly phone calls
  • Assist family members with small tasks

We try to match volunteers and families with similar interests or backgrounds. For example, a former football coach might be paired with a lifelong football fan, or a proud Methodist with someone from a local Methodist congregation.

During a Visit

The volunteer will schedule visits with the family as both their schedules allow. Visits can include anything from conversation to card games:

  • Talking about memories (and recording them)
  • Looking at family photo albums
  • Reading books or poetry aloud
  • Playing games
  • Watching TV or movies
  • Watching "the game"
  • Listening to music
  • Praying or reading from religious texts

Our volunteers often have their own suggestions for things to do. The goal of the visit is simply to bring a little sunshine into a patient's life.

The New Friend You Can Rely On

Our volunteers undergo a rigorous training program which includes much of the same material required for our staff. They are background-checked, drug tested and medically screened, just like our employees. Because of the extensive vetting process, families can feel as confident inviting our volunteer into their home as our nurse or social worker.

If you could use the kind of help a volunteer can give, please call us at 828/874-HOPE and ask for the Intake Coordinator. We would be delighted to introduce you to your new friend!