Our In-Home Volunteer Support Program offers emotional support and practical help to clients facing a life-limiting illness who are being cared for at home. Our professional staff supports trained volunteers who make home visits.
Anyone can make a referral to Hospice — you, a family member, caregiver, friend, physician or other health care professional. When you contact Hospice Care Ottawa, our Community Care Coordinator will arrange to meet with you and/or your loved one to decide the best type of care to meet your needs and then a volunteer match will be made.
These volunteers provide someone to listen, to read, to talk with, to take the patient shopping, to assist at meals or to simply watch over while the patient rests. This program allows caregivers to do errands or to rest knowing that their family member is being cared for.
Hospice volunteers are meant to complement existing support by family and friends, visiting nurses and personal support workers. This program plays an important role in Hospice/palliative care, especially for people who are isolated in our community. Not everyone has access to the support of family and friends. The Hospice volunteer provides client support at home or retirement home while providing emotional support or respite to family and friend caregivers.
The In-Home Volunteer Support Program provides but is not limited to:
- respite for caregivers
- practical help
- emotional and spiritual support
- referrals and information
- comfort measures
- advocacy
- bereavement support.
In-home volunteers are not able to provide:
- personal care (bathing/toileting),
- assist with heavy transfers or heavy lifting,
- or dispense medication (including titrating oxygen)
Refer to our In-Home Support Program:
Anyone can make a referral to any Day Hospice Program listed above as long as the person being referred meets these criteria:
- Must be 18 years of age or older
- Must be diagnosed with a life limiting illness
Note: Our programs cannot support dementia or challenging behaviours
How to request community support:
- Self-referral – visit https://www.accesscss.ca/ click on “Find Service” and enter your address. Then choose “palliative care” and select from the drop down
- Health Care Professionals – visit http://caredove.com/champlaincss – recommended to sign up once to access an abundance of community support in the area for your patients
Or call to make a referral or for more information – 613-796-6555
For more information about Hospice Care Ottawa, please click here to review our Frequently Asked Questions.
