Our volunteers are the heart of our Hospice without Walls, Hospice Now, and Bereavement Support programs.
This work requires integrity and sensitivity, and interviews and reference checks are performed to assess aptitude and suitability for this very special work. We are committed to ensuring that all volunteers are fully screened and trained prior to working with clients.
You commit to…
- Attending a complete training program.
- Volunteering approximately four hours per week for a minimum of one year.
- Attending ongoing in-service training sessions.
You receive…
- Comprehensive training.
- Guidance and support from the Volunteer Coordinator.
- Support from a community of like-minded people.
- Pride of knowing you are making a difference.
Your tasks may include…
- Provide companionship — like reading, talking, writing letters, listening to life stories.
- Give caregivers respite and support bereaved families.
- Help clients navigate through the system to meet their needs.
- Prepare light meals, run errands, or provide transportation.
How to apply
There is a high demand for our services and we are always happy to accept applicants! When applying to join the Prairie Hospice volunteer team, please allow sufficient time for an interview to be scheduled and reference checks completed before being accepted into the next training.
- Criminal record check required. No charge will be incurred at the police station if you bring a letter from Prairie Hospice. You will receive this letter on completion of an interview.
- No prior experience in health care necessary. Prairie Hospice understands that we all have the capacity for care and compassion.
- Volunteers must be at least 19 years of age.
Prairie Hospice volunteer training groups
Here are the volunteers we have trained to date. Additional people are always welcome!
Volunteer information
Volunteers have access to a private page with training documents, educational information, and volunteer newsletters. Once you’ve been accepted as a volunteer, you will receive the password to access this content.
Frequently asked questions
The comprehensive initial training program and ongoing in-service educational events prepare volunteers to visit clients and offer compassionate, non-medical client- and family-centered care for these individuals and their families in the comfort of their homes.
The training consists of presentations, panel discussions, self study, self-care, suggested readings, and videos to prepare you for the challenges you may face as a hospice volunteer. Topics include communication and boundaries, client diversities, confidentiality, Prairie Hospice policies, volunteer procedures, safety, and self care, comfort care, grief, loss and bereavement.
Our volunteers have access to the Volunteer Coordinators throughout their service, including a debriefing session after each client death. The regular inservice training events and support meetings allow the volunteers to support one another, learn from one another’s experiences, ask questions of the Volunteer Coordinator, impact policy development and generally unite as a team of Prairie Hospice volunteers.
Our volunteers commit to spend approximately 4 hours per week with their client. As our clients often fatigue easily, this time is commonly divided into more than one session per week. Our volunteer and the client work together to determine their best schedule. In cases where the client is totally alone or has higher needs, our Volunteer Coordinators may assign more than one volunteer to the client.
No. We do not provide any form of medical care. That type of care is typically provided by the Palliative Home Care program of the Saskatchewan Health Authority. We do not do physical transfers or lifting of clients and will call Home Care if clients require that kind of service.