Volunteers in Practice
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Volunteers

What we know

Volunteers play an important role in palliative care. They can help relieve distress and strengthen bonds between dying people and their community, friends, activities and hobbies. Volunteers need support and training in carrying out their role.

What can I do?

Remember that volunteers are different to family members, carers and paid care workers

Familiarise yourself with the training provided to volunteers and the expected scope of their role

Consider the possible sources of conflict between volunteers and health professionals by considering the challenges for volunteers in working as non-experts in an expert clinical setting and spend a few minutes talking with your volunteers about their view on formal care (theoretical care framework) and where they see themselves fitting into the system of care in your service

Consider whether there are ways that the contribution by volunteers could make for better end-of-life and palliative care outcomes

Volunteering in palliative care may be stressful; to help you look after yourself use the resources in the self-care section.
 

 

What can my organisation do?


Review the Palliative Care Volunteer Services: Guidance for managers from Palliative Care NSW.

Consider how your service compares to the Palliative Care Volunteer Standards from Victorian Department of Human Services.

Volunteering Australia 2007 has developed a Toolkit for training volunteers (2.74MB pdf) (although not with palliative focus).

The Palliative Care Volunteer Training Kit 2012 offers resources for trainers of palliative care volunteers.
 
Page updated 09 May 2017