To become a hospice volunteer, you contact a local hospice, complete an application and screening, finish volunteer training, and then get matched with a role that fits your strengths and schedule. You do not need medical experience. Medicare requires every certified hospice to use trained volunteers, so volunteers are a recognized part of the care team. The whole process is designed to prepare you, so you never walk into a patient’s home unready.

What Does a Hospice Volunteer Do?

You may already feel the pull. Maybe hospice cared for someone you love, or you simply want your spare hours to mean something. The question most first-timers carry is quieter: Am I the right kind of person for this?

Hospice volunteers offer presence, practical help, and relief. They do not provide medical care. Their work supports patients, gives family caregivers a break, and helps the clinical team run smoothly.

Volunteers work alongside the full hospice care team. That team includes physicians, registered nurses, social workers, chaplains, certified nursing assistants, and bereavement counselors. Each person has a defined role, and the volunteer role is one of them.

Why Medicare Requires Hospice Volunteers

Under the Medicare Conditions of Participation, every Medicare-certified hospice must:

• Use volunteers in day-to-day administrative or direct patient care roles
• Provide volunteers with orientation and training consistent with hospice industry standards
• Maintain volunteer hours equal to at least 5% of total patient care hours provided by paid staff and contract staff

This rule reflects how hospice began as a community movement. Volunteers help keep hospice care personal, local, and human.

How to Become a Hospice Volunteer: 6 Steps

Every hospice sets its own process, but most follow a path like this one. Ask the hospice you contact which steps apply to them.

1. Reflect on why you want to volunteer. Think about how much time you can give each week and what kind of help you feel drawn to. Some people want direct time with patients. Others prefer office or event support. Both matter.
2. Contact a local hospice. Call or email the hospice’s volunteer coordinator. Ask about current openings, required training, and where volunteers are most needed.
3. Complete the application and screening. Expect an application form and an interview. Many hospices also require a background check, reference checks, and health screenings. These steps protect patients and families.
4. Finish volunteer orientation and training. Medicare requires hospices to train volunteers before they serve. Training often covers hospice philosophy, patient privacy (HIPAA), communication skills, infection control, grief and loss, and what to do in common situations.
5. Get matched with a role. The volunteer coordinator considers your skills, language abilities, schedule, and comfort level. You will not be placed somewhere that does not fit you.
6. Begin serving, with support. Staff will guide you through your first visits or shifts. You will log your hours, check in with your coordinator, and have someone to talk to after difficult moments.

Types of Hospice Volunteer Roles

Medicare recognizes two kinds of volunteer roles: direct patient care support and administrative support. The specific roles available vary by hospice.

Patient and family support roles may include:

• Companionship visits: Reading, talking, listening to music, or simply sitting with a patient.
• Caregiver relief: Staying with a patient so a family caregiver can rest, run errands, or step outside. This complements respite care services.
• Legacy projects: Helping patients record stories, organize photos, or write letters to loved ones.
• Bereavement support: Helping with check-in calls, cards, and outreach as part of bereavement services for grieving families.
• Veteran-to-veteran visits: Some hospices pair veteran volunteers with veteran patients. Learn more about VA hospice care.

Administrative and community roles may include:

• Answering phones, filing, and preparing mailings
• Making supportive phone calls to patients and families
• Helping at community events and educational outreach

Bilingual volunteers are especially valuable in diverse communities like Los Angeles County. If you speak a second language, mention it when you apply.

What volunteers do not do: Volunteers do not give medications, perform medical tasks, or provide hands-on personal care. Those tasks belong to licensed nurses and trained home health aides.

Is Hospice Volunteering Right for You?

You do not need to be a nurse, a counselor, or someone who “knows what to say.” The best hospice volunteers are dependable, listen well, and are comfortable being present without trying to fix things.

Ask yourself:

• Can I commit a few hours on a regular schedule?
• Am I comfortable spending time with people who are seriously ill?
• Can I respect a family’s privacy, culture, and beliefs, even when they differ from mine?
• Am I willing to follow the care team’s guidance?

If most of your answers are yes, you are likely ready to take the first step.

Volunteers see firsthand what families carry. Reading about what families often worry about most is a good way to understand the people you will support.

Hospice Volunteering in Burbank and Los Angeles County

Most hospice care happens at home. In Burbank, Glendale, Pasadena, and communities across Los Angeles County, volunteers often visit private homes, assisted living communities, and skilled nursing facilities near where they live. See the areas we serve.

Local volunteers make a real difference for families caring for someone at home. Caregivers often juggle medications, appointments, and work while trying to be present. A volunteer’s few hours can give them room to breathe. Learn how hospice helps families spend less time managing care and more time together, and why respite matters for exhausted caregivers in Burbank and Pasadena.

What You Gain as a Volunteer

Volunteers often describe this work as one of the most meaningful things they have done. You may gain:

• A deeper understanding of what to expect at the end of life, for yourself and your own family
• Real-world experience for nursing, social work, chaplaincy, or medical school paths
• Connection with a caring team and with your community
• The quiet knowledge that someone did not face a hard day alone

Take the First Step Toward Volunteering

You do not need to have everything figured out to start. A short conversation with a volunteer coordinator can answer your questions and show you where you might fit.

Ready to learn more? Call Journey Palliative and Hospice at (818) 748-3427 or contact our team to ask about volunteer opportunities in Burbank and throughout Los Angeles County. We will walk you through the next steps at your pace.