Some things that are vital to well being are not covered by insurance

Kansas City Hospice & Palliative Care has over 400 highly trained and dedicated volunteers who may be called upon to assist your loved one and your family. All of our volunteers undergo a complete background/reference check and extensive training to make sure that your experience will be positive.

Here are a few of the ways a volunteer might assist you:

Respite Care – volunteers may provide the primary caregiver a break to get some rest, attend to appointments or get errands done.  This type of volunteer sits with a patient for a few hours at a time.  We match volunteers to your needs, whether they be good conversations, a ride in a wheelchair or other activities that might improve the day. Learn more

Friendly Visitor – volunteers may visit with your loved one at home or in a long-term care facility. Learn more

Errands – volunteers may assist by picking up groceries or running other errands on occasion.

Lasting Conversations – volunteers record a conversation between patient and family where history is shared and stories are told. A list of questions is provided and often a family member or friend ‘interviews’ the patient. Volunteers use professional equipment to record this conversation and download and burn the disk. The family is then provided two CDs. Learn more

Pet Peace of Mind – volunteers may provide assistance with routine pet care so pets can be safely maintained at home. They might walk a dog, transport a pet to and from veterinarian or grooming appointments, deliver pet supplies or support your loved one in making long-term placement decisions.  This program is made possible by a grant from Banfield Charitable Trust and a private donor. Learn more

We Honor Veterans – we partner with this national program to provide recognition and appreciation to veterans via a certificate and provide visits to the patient by volunteers who have served in the military.  We are also able to help provide veteran benefit resource information for families and we participate in Honor Flights. Learn more

Special Services – professional massage therapists, hair stylists, attorneys and notaries volunteer their services.  Due do such a great demand, the wait for these services can be a few weeks.

Extended Presence – This unique program provides companionship and comfort when a patient is actively dying.  Volunteers fill in shifts around staff to be with people when family members or friends are unavailable.  The volunteer might hold a hand, wipe a forehead, play some music or just be present in the moment to let them know they are not alone.

Bereavement – By request, a volunteer assists family after a death has occurred for a short period of time with thank you notes, companionship or transporting the bereaved to and from the grave site.