Opportunities From: VolunteerME Southern Maine

Become a Hospice of Southern Maine Volunteer!  Hospice of Southern Maine provides a comprehensive training program and ongoing support to volunteers working with our patients and their families. The initial training ensures that volunteers have the skills and confidence to be well prepared for this role. No health care background is needed. Volunteers complete the professional circle of hospice care. In addition to being good listeners, our volunteers are compassionate, reliable, and non-judgmental. They enjoy working with all types of people.  Direct Care Volunteers provide non-medical aid and support in the following ways: Providing companionship and emotional support for patients, caregivers and families, by providing respite care to allow caregivers time to themselves, by assisting with errands, helping with light household chores or light meal prep, by providing bedside companionship for patients alone in their final hours and offering grief support following the death of a loved one.

Specialized Support Volunteers provide service in an administrative role or assist with special events. These individuals provide non-direct care on a sporadic and one-time basis either on-site or at an off-site event. Volunteer Service may include the following:

The music program is an extension of our holistic approach to patient care and is a way to meet the emotional, physical and spiritual needs of our patients, family members, visitors and staff members.

Program Description:

Musicians who are trained hospice volunteers will play live music at the Gosnell Memorial Hospice House. Musicians are not there to be performers but rather to provide a soothing presence. The musician stays out of the way and in the background. Conversations, meals, visits or rests are able to continue. Musicians will play in the family room/lobby area and will play bed side upon request.

 Program Benefits:

Research studies have shown the benefits of music:

The patient’s caregivers and family members also may benefit from hearing soothing music at stressful moments.

General Requirements:

Music Volunteers must have completed the 30 hour HSM Volunteer Training and all other on-boarding and annual requirements.

Volunteer human and canine teams provide patients, families and HSM staff the opportunity to visit and interact with Therapy Dogs and experience the benefits of the human-animal bond and improve quality of life through human-animal interaction. Volunteer teams visit patients at the Gosnell Memorial Hospice House as well as our patients who reside in nursing and assisted living facilities.