Hospice Volunteers: An Invaluable Asset

Hospice volunteers are the foundation of hospice care. Volunteers offer companionship, respite, emotional support, and administrative assistance. They support crucial services that enhance quality of care and strengthen interdisciplinary teams. 

Medicare regulations require hospice agencies to utilize volunteers for at least 5% of total patient care hours. Meeting this 5% threshold can generate cost savings by reducing reliance on paid staff for non-clinical services. Those savings can then be reinvested into patient care, staff development, and program expansion. Volunteer programs support both regulatory compliance and financial sustainability.

However, these savings must be viewed within a broader operational context. Volunteers contribute to cost efficiency, but they also require structured management to ensure quality and compliance. Volunteers are not “free.” Effective volunteer programs require recruitment, training, supervision, and ongoing support. Understanding both the economic and human value of hospice volunteers helps organizations build sustainable, high-quality hospice care programs.

The Economics of Volunteerism

Volunteerism represents a powerful economic force in the United States. According to the Corporation for National and Community Service (2012), 26.8% of Americans volunteered in 2011, contributing 7.9 billion hours of service valued at approximately $171 billion. This figure underscores the immense financial impact of unpaid service across nonprofit sectors, including healthcare.

Volunteers Aren’t Free. They are a crucial asset that requires investment.

Although hospice volunteers provide unpaid service, managing a volunteer program involves direct and indirect costs. Agencies must invest in infrastructure to ensure volunteers are properly onboarded, trained, and supported.

Recruitment and Screening

Recruitment efforts may include community outreach, marketing materials, interviews, and application processing. Because volunteers work with vulnerable populations, agencies must also conduct background checks and health screenings. These safeguards protect patients, families, and clinicians but require financial and administrative resources.

Documentation and Compliance

Hospice programs must track volunteer hours, maintain accurate records, and demonstrate compliance with Medicare regulations. Administrative staff time and data systems are necessary to manage this documentation effectively.

Staff Supervision

Volunteer coordinators dedicate time to onboarding, scheduling, mentoring, and supporting volunteers. Ongoing communication and evaluation are essential for maintaining service quality and volunteer satisfaction.

Without proper oversight, volunteer engagement can decline, leading to turnover and increased recruitment costs.

Structured Training and Onboarding Increase Volunteer Retention and Reduce Operational Costs

Comprehensive, structured onboarding program widely considered a best practice in the volunteer-management field. Formal training correlates with volunteer retention and satisfaction. Volunteer retention keeps your costs down and services consistent. 

While volunteers contribute significant economic and relational value, their effectiveness depends largely on one critical factor: structured training and onboarding.

Too often, volunteer programs focus primarily on recruitment. However, the long-term success, retention, and impact of hospice volunteers are directly tied to how well they are prepared for their roles. Investing in comprehensive onboarding is not simply a regulatory requirement—it is a strategic decision that strengthens care quality, improves volunteer retention, and enhances organizational sustainability.

Onboarding represents one of the most significant investments in volunteer management. A comprehensive, structured onboarding program is widely recognized as a best practice in volunteer administration.

Formal training equips volunteers with:

• Knowledge of hospice philosophy
• Communication skills
• Boundaries and confidentiality standards
• Cultural sensitivity awareness
• Grief and bereavement education
• An understanding of hospice philosophy and interdisciplinary care
• Infection control best practices
• Knowledge of boundaries and confidentiality
• Cultural sensitivity awareness
• Education on grief and bereavement
• Guidance on self-care and emotional resilience

Research in volunteer management consistently shows that training correlates with higher retention and satisfaction. Volunteers who feel prepared and supported are more likely to remain engaged long-term. In a 2023 study on the connections between volunteer management and retention, the value of training was clear.

For those volunteering in organizations without adequate support, “[volunteers mentioned] the sheer lack of training and how this made them feel, with respondents who described that they had little training felt “ignored”, “not valued”, “apprehensive”, and “just thrown in” (Piatak & Carman, 2023).

Training was also a theme in feedback from “Volunteers who completed training [who] suggested ‘more’ or ‘refresher trainings’ would improve their satisfaction with their volunteer experience” (Piatak & Carman, 2023).

Ongoing training is crucial for volunteer development and regulatory compliance.

Retention directly affects financial stability. When volunteers stay longer, agencies reduce recruitment expenses, maintain service consistency, and strengthen patient relationships. While onboarding requires upfront investment, it lowers long-term operational costs.

Training provides clarity. Volunteers who understand their roles and expectations are more confident and effective in patient interactions. Confidence translates into meaningful presence—one of the most valuable services hospice volunteers offer.

High-quality onboarding reduces:

• Early volunteer dropout
• Scheduling disruptions
• Staff time spent correcting misunderstandings
• Compliance risks

In contrast, poorly trained volunteers may require additional supervision, generate documentation errors, or struggle with boundary issues. These challenges increase staff workload and potentially impact quality scores.

By investing in comprehensive training, hospice agencies protect their compliance standing and reduce long-term costs associated with turnover and remediation.

Onboarding as Organizational Culture Building

In a 2015 survey on volunteer satisfaction, Jensen and McKeage’s results demonstrate the increased volunteer satisfaction that can result when a collaborative organizational culture is enhanced with attention to clear structures, policies, and procedures.

Effective onboarding does more than transfer information; it integrates volunteers into the hospice mission and culture. Early exposure to organizational values fosters alignment and commitment.

Volunteers want structure. They want to be trained, prepared, and supported.

“Ultimately, the pattern of results shows the greatest volunteer satisfaction is within a more formalized, structured system, leading to a recommendation that nonprofit organizations carefully consider how to implement structured volunteer management and feedback systems.” (Jensen & McKeage, 2015).

Structured onboarding programs often include:

• Mission and values education
• Formalized and standardized training
• Shadowing/Mentoring
• Feedback

These elements create connection. Volunteers who feel integrated into the care team are more likely to become ambassadors for hospice services within the community. They promote awareness, recruit peers, and support fundraising initiatives.

In this way, onboarding becomes both a training tool and a community-building strategy.

The Value of Hospice Volunteers: Final Thoughts

Hospice volunteers play a vital role in compassionate end-of-life care. Their contributions generate measurable economic value, expand care capacity, support Medicare compliance, and enhance interdisciplinary care models. Yet, volunteers are not without cost. Recruitment, screening, training, and supervision require thoughtful investment. “The careful, strategic management of volunteer resources can be vital for providing volunteers a satisfying service experience” (Jensen & McKeage, 2015).

When hospice agencies treat their volunteers like the valuable assets they are and prioritize structured onboarding and retention strategies, they maximize both financial and human returns. Volunteers reduce operational strain, improve patient and family experiences, and strengthen community engagement.

Ultimately, the value of hospice volunteers lies not only in cost savings but in presence, dignity, and connection. By recognizing volunteers as strategic partners rather than free labor, hospice organizations can build sustainable programs that honor both mission and quality.

 

References

Community Health Accreditation Partner. (2025). CHAP Hospice Standards of Excellence v.3.1.0. https://education.chaplinq.org/products/chap-hospice-standards-of-excellence-v310

Corporation for National and Community Service. (2012). Volunteering and Civic Life in America 2012. http://www.volunteeringinamerica.gov/assets/resources/FactSheetFinal.pdf

Jensen, K. B., & McKeage, K. K. (2015). Fostering Volunteer Satisfaction: Enhancing Collaboration Through Structure. Journal of Nonprofit Education and Leadership, 5(3), 174–189.

Piatak, J. S., & Carman, J. G. (2023). Unpacking the volunteer experience: The influence of volunteer management on retention and promotion of the organization. Journal of Public and Nonprofit Affairs, 9(3), 278–296. https://doi.org/10.20899/jpna.9.3.1-19