Many hospices--especially those that work with patients on Medicare and Medicaid--rely heavily on volunteers to assist their patients and keep them company. Whether you're a current hospice volunteer or are considering the option of volunteering at a local hospice family care center, of course you want to provide the highest level of patient care as you possibly can. Fortunately, by incorporating a few tips, you can become an amazing and supportive hospice volunteer who will make a huge difference in the lives of your patients.

Schedule a Preliminary Visit

When you become a volunteer, you might feel like you don't have much of a say when it comes to the types of patients you work with. After all, you're just there to help out in any way you can. At the same time, however, understand that you have a right to schedule a preliminary visit with any patient before you decide to work with them regularly. It's recommended that you always take advantage of this option and that you don't commit to working with a patient if you're not comfortable with it. For example, you might find that working with dementia patients is a little too emotionally challenging for you, and that's okay.

Offer to Write for Them

Many hospice patients have come to terms with the fact that they're likely nearing the ends of their lives. As such, many of them will have loved ones they'd like to write letters to, but may not be physically able to put pen to paper. Consider asking your hospice patients if they'd like you to help them write something (or simply write something down for them as they dictate). This is something that many hospice patients really appreciate and will take you up on if the opportunity is presented to them.

Be Able to Entertain Yourself

Finally, when you're scheduled to visit with a patient, always bring along something to keep yourself entertained in the event that your patient wants to nap, watch TV or simply isn't feeling up to being sociable. Always reassure and remind your patients that you don't need to be entertained during your visits, and that you're perfectly fine with just relaxing or finding something to do while he or she naps. Many hospice patients feel like they're responsible for keeping their volunteers entertained or socializing with them for the entire visit, even when all they really want to do is nap.