Volunteer in hospice care

Provide comfort and support to patients and families receiving care from Hospice of the Central Coast, part of Montage Health. You’ll play a key role in a team offering personalized end-of-life care in your community.

Training and education

Before you start volunteering, you’ll complete a general orientation and a short hospice-specific orientation to:

  • Understand hospice care, and our philosophy
  • Meet our team
  • Learn how to offer grief support
  • Identify what’s important to patients
  • Build listening and communication skills
  • Determine when you’re ready to volunteer

Throughout your time as a volunteer, you’ll receive ongoing support and education from staff, volunteer mentors, and a variety of community experts.

Volunteer opportunities

After the general training session, choose to volunteer in the area that’s closest to your heart:

  • Bereavement services – Give one-on-one support to patients and families, make bereavement phone calls and visits, and, with additional training, facilitate grief support groups
  • Friendly visitor – Visit patients in their homes or nursing facilities to offer companionship, play music, or read with patients expected to live one year or less
  • Veteran's services- Help honor our Veterans and support them as they near the end of their lives

Ask us about other services you may have credentials in.

Opportunities with specialized training

Tell us if you’re interested in one of these volunteer areas that require additional training:

  • Bereavement group facilitation – Work in pairs to lead support groups with guidance from professional staff
  • Vigil service – Sit by a patient’s bedside or hold a vigil in the last 24 to 48 hours of life
  • Volunteer Chaplains – Provide spiritual support to patients and families as they near the end of their lives

Apply to become a Hospice volunteer

Please note on your application form that you are interested in becoming a volunteer for Hospice of the Central Coast.

Apply here

If you have questions, call (831) 649-7750.

Become a volunteer

Call (831) 622-2746 to let us know you’re interested in volunteering with Hospice of the Central Coast.

Upcoming Classes & Events

  • Mar
    11
    Tuesday
    1:00 PM - 3:00 PM
    Join this in-person workshop on planning for and talking about what you want when it comes to serious illness and end-of-life care. Taking these steps now will reduce stress later and allow your choices to be honored.
  • Mar
    11
    Tuesday
    6:30 PM - 7:30 PM
    Surgeons Mark Vierra and Steven S. Chang have helped thousands of people get on a path to weight loss and better health through weight-loss surgery.
  • Mar
    12
    Wednesday
    11:15 AM - 12:15 PM
    This class focuses on the DASH (Dietary Approaches to Stop Hypertension) diet, avoiding hidden sodium in food, and exercise strategies to reduce risk.
  • Mar
    18
    Tuesday
    11:15 AM - 12:15 PM
    Learn about inflammation, how it’s connected to many chronic diseases, and how balanced nutrition may reduce or prevent it.