Hospice patients and families love their volunteers! This week’s Heartbeat shares the truth about the role of the hospice volunteer.  Hospice agencies are required by regulation to recruit volunteers to supplement the patient care hours provided by the agency staff.  There are many different jobs volunteers can do, everything from administrative tasks in the office to visits to patients’ homes.  Volunteers do things like reading to a patient, providing companionship, walking dogs, and fixing a light meal.  There are some restrictions on what volunteers can do. They're not allowed to give medications or change a bandage on a wound.  The volunteer is responsible for reporting back to the interdisciplinary team, letting them know if the patient is having symptom issues or has had a change in status.  There’s no payment for working as a volunteer but the reward is priceless!  If you’re interested in being a hospice volunteer, check out the Serve page on theheartofhospice.com for more information.  We’ve got podcasts to help you with all your hospice questions.  Check out our Podcast page to learn more.  Got a hospice question? Send it to host@theheartofhospice.com.  We’re happy to help - you are The Heart of Hospice.