Home Volunteer Services

Adult Community Volunteer Program

Duke HomeCare & Hospice

If you desire to enhance the lives of hospice patients and their families, Duke HomeCare and Hospice is the perfect place to volunteer your time and talents. Community members 18 years and older help provide Duke HomeCare and Hospice patients and families with the support they need.

Volunteer Requirements

  • Adult community volunteers must be 18 years or older at the time of application submission.
  • All volunteers are required to commit to a minimum 4 hours per month.
  • ID badges must be worn at all times.
  • If you are grieving a recent loss, you may be assigned to non-patient assignments for one year.

Become a Volunteer

If you would like to be contacted for our current volunteer opportunities available at Duke HomeCare and Hospice, please complete the volunteer interest survey interest survey.

Volunteer Interest Survey

After completing the volunteer interest survey, the volunteer services team for Duke HomeCare & Hospice will guide you through the process below and discuss which volunteer opportunities would be the best match for you.

Duke HomeCare and Hospice will be hosting volunteer quarterly trainings for 2023 on the following dates:

  • March 16, 2024, 9:00 am to 3:00 pm
  • June 15, 2024, 9:00 am to 3:00 pm
  • September 14, 2024, 9:00 am to 3:00 pm
  • December 14, 2024, 9:00 am to 3:00 pm
     

To become a volunteer, you must: 

  • Attend a volunteer information session. A zoom link will be provided.
  • Complete a one-on-one interview
  • Complete an application and 18 hours of training
  • Fulfill Duke HomeCare and Hospice’s volunteer requirements

For questions please, contact Duke Home Care and Hospice Volunteer Services at 919-479-0396 or email dhch-hospicevolunteerservices@dm.duke.edu. 

Adult Community Volunteer Opportunities

Duke HomeCare & Hospice offers a variety of opportunities for volunteers. After completing the volunteer interest survey, you will have an opportunity to discuss which opportunity will be the best match for you with one of the members of our Duke HomeCare & Hospice volunteer services team.

Volunteers provide support to patients on a predetermined, scheduled basis through companionship, emotional support, and a comforting presence. Volunteers can also provide respite care that will allow full-time caregivers to take time for self-care while the volunteer provides a comforting presence to the patient.

This role will provide support to patients and families at our inpatient facility. The volunteer will perform tasks to ensure comfort and care in a homelike environment and assist staff in answering patient call bells and visitor questions as needed.

This role will provide support in our administrative offices. We are looking for volunteers that have the skills to complete task such as scanning, computer data entry and look up, filing, mailing, making packets, stuffing envelopes, delivering, picking up, copying, making special packets, etc.

Volunteers provide care during the final hours for a patient that may not have family present at bedside or to provide emergency respite care for a family that is sitting vigil at a patient’s bedside but needs to step away for self-care.

Volunteers help to maintain the gardens at Hock Family Pavilion and, when possible, provide flower arrangements for patients rooms. Volunteers also fill the bird feeders and clean the birdhouses as needed.

Volunteers provide soft music by the bedside for patients that is both soothing and calming.

Volunteers assist with special projects, fundraisers, and more.

An animal assisted program that delivers support and companionship for patients, visitors, and staff. Volunteers must have a pet that is certified therapy dog.

A veteran-to-veteran volunteer program where veterans volunteer with hospice veteran patients/families and take part in veteran-related events with Duke HomeCare & Hospice.