# Volunteer ## Volunteer [Become a Volunteer](#wf-form-Volunteers-Form) - APEX Health Services - / - Volunteer ## Enhancing Lives with Compassion and Integrity Volunteers make a profound difference in the quality of life for patients and their families. - Volunteers are an integral part of the professional team. - Volunteer opportunities are flexible. Once trained, our volunteers choose each assignment based on their own personal schedule and level of commitment. - Volunteers give what they can, when they can. We believe that even one hour a week can make a difference. ### Why Volunteer? You are passionate about contributing in providing quality compassionate care for patients and families at this difficult time in their lives. You want to increase your life satisfaction by making a positive impact on another’s quality of life. ### What Do Volunteers Do? - Hospice volunteers are in an elite group of people that are trusted and treated as Apex Company employees. - Direct care volunteers visit patients and their family and provide a supportive presence and companionship. - Special Service volunteers craft blankets and legacy projects such as memory bears and pillows - Administrative volunteers answer phone calls and/or complete in-office and remote projects to support the other members of the professional team as they care for patients and families in the field. - Bereavement volunteers make phone calls and mail letters that support our 12-month bereavement program - All volunteers participate in orientation and training specific to their role. - Special training is available for direct care volunteers that want to participate in the We Honor Veterans, Love on Leashes, Music or Legacy programs ## Volunteer Director for Hospice - Katherine Ives - Volunteer Director for Hospice [Meet Our Team](https://apex-health.com/our-team) ## Our Programs **Love on Leashes** is a true partnership in care that brings many hours of comfort to patients and family members. Animal Assisted therapy has a long history. It began in the sixteenth century and in the 1970’s Dr. Aaron Katcher collected the first data showing that animals could improve a person physical state such as lowering blood pressure and minimizing experience of pain. Pets also stimulate life review and reminiscing, often improving long- and short-term memory. Some patients feel a spiritual oneness with life and nature when in the presence of pets. Petting increases motor skill movement and brings a sense of warmth in touch. Psychologically, when a person nurtures, their need to be nurtured is being fulfilled. APEX Hospice offers pet visits to our patients through the **Love on Leashes program**. Apex Hospice works in partnership with local area Humane societies to provide pet teams that are registered, trained, insured and certified with a national therapy dog registry and hold a traditional animal assisted activity certification. If you are passionate about pets and would like to learn more about becoming a Love on Leashes visiting team, contact our Volunteer Services Director to learn more. - Love on Leashes - Love on Leashes APEX Hospice and Palliative Care provides care to approximately one-hundred plus Veterans a year. APEX Hospice and Palliative Care is recognized by the National Hospice and Palliative Care Organization (NHPCO) as a partner in the **We Honor Veterans** program. This program recognizes current and former military members for their service and assists them in accessing benefits they are entitled to receive. Our staff is trained to work with Veterans who have war-related post-traumatic stress syndrome which frequently surfaces near end of life. As a **We Honor Veterans** partner, our agency provides specialized services to Veterans who face a life-limiting illness. **We Honor Veterans** was created to empower hospices and other healthcare providers across America to meet the unique needs of seriously ill Veterans and their families. The program teaches compassionate listening and grateful acknowledgement – to comfort patients with a history of military service and possibly physical or psychological trauma. **We Honor Veteran** volunteers are veterans or people with a military background that visit and provide companionship for veteran patients. They can relate and understand the unique needs of the veteran during this difficult time in their lives. If you have a military background and would like to volunteer on this specialized team, please contact our Volunteer Services Director. - Our participation in We Honor Veterans is reflected in our total care of patients who are veterans. Each hospice nurse carries the American flag at all times, and when a veteran leaves his or her home for the final time, the flag is placed over the body to convey full dignity and respect. - We Honor Veterans - We Honor Veterans **Forget Me Not** is a legacy program that affirms and honors the life of an individual. It gives a patient the ability to give the gift of legacy to their loved ones. - Patients may choose to record their treasured memories, photos, life story or words of wisdom in a story book created by our Apex team and volunteers. - Patients or their families may also choose to create a legacy bear or pillow from a favorite article of clothing. - If you are interested in volunteering for the Forget Me Not legacy program, please contact our Volunteer Services Director. - Forget Me Not - Forget Me Not ## Become Volunteer Volunteers Form --- APEX Health Services — [https://apex-health.com/volunteers](https://apex-health.com/volunteers)