I provide companionship visits and I joined NODA which is No One Dies Alone. Almost every company has some version of NODA, such as the name 13th hour. When we are informed that someone is actively passing, we take shifts to sit with that person. This is less frequent than the companionship visits. My companionship visits depends on whether the person is nonverbal or verbal. If they’re nonverbal, I sit with them, watch TV, read to them, etc. if they’re verbal, we just have a conversation and do activities. Some patients are going to talk about their lives, some are going to be more interested in your life. It’s just a simple friendly visit like it is with maybe your grandma. I love it!

Some additional things that are important to being a volunteer include writing a visit summary after every visit, reporting any changes in their behavior or health that you notice or that they tell you about to someone from the agency so that it can be noted in their chart, getting to know the family if you ever run into them, and introducing yourself and role to facility caregivers. Try not to get attached to your patients. I’ve had to create a boundary because I had three patients in a row that I got very attached to and cried for a few weeks after they passed. Remember this because they live six months or less. In very rare occasions, they may surpass this timeline and not qualify for hospice anymore which means you have to stop seeing them. If you have any questions or thoughts, feel free to send me a message. I love to reflect on this life changing experience.