Hospice Adds a Different Perspective to Volunteering

A slightly different opportunity awaits volunteers just a short walk away from the heart of the Texas Medical Center.

The Hospice at the Texas Medical Center, located at 1905 Holcombe, is a beautiful place that many people pass every day. Driving by, motorists may wonder how hospice fits into the total care provided by Texas Medical Center institutions. They may also wonder about working with the terminally ill, and whether there is a way to learn more about this type of care and, perhaps, offer their help as a volunteer.

Hospice is an important part of the continuum of care provided by the institutions in the Texas Medical Center. It only makes sense that the best medical center in the world offers the best end-of-life care as well. Volunteers play a large role in helping to provide this care. They are said to be the "heart of hospice" because their help makes such a difference in the lives of the hospice’s patients and families, and they become an integral part of the hospice team caring for the patient.

Over the years, many people who work every day in the Texas Medical Center have found ways to fit hospice volunteering into their busy lives. Unlike other volunteer experiences in the Texas Medical Center, found mainly in hospitals, hospice volunteers help in a variety of settings – in patients’ own homes, in nursing homes, and in the hospice’s Patient Care Center. And since the hospice cares for patients in the greater Houston area, many people find that performing home-care visits in their neighborhoods is a convenient volunteer opportunity.

The hospice offers unique and comprehensive training for volunteers. The next 30-hour training session, broken into four Saturdays, will begin Saturday, June 8. For information, call (713) 677-7121.

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©2006 Texas Medical Center

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