Hospice Volunteering is Worth More than $469 Million Annually Reports NHPCO

Hospice community celebrates contributions of its volunteers during National Volunteer Week, April 7 – 13.

(Alexandria, Va) – National Hospice and Palliative Care Organization salutes the estimated 420,000 trained hospice volunteers who provide more than 19 million hours of service every year to people who are on the journey at life’s end.

The Independent Sector values an hour of volunteer time in America to be worth $24.69 which means that hospice volunteers are providing more than $469 million in service, every year.

National Volunteer Week is April 7 – 13, 2019, and those dedicated individuals offering support, companionship and hope to those facing a life-limiting illness deserve special recognition for the difference they make in America.

“It is federally mandated under Medicare that five percent of all patient care hours be provided by trained volunteers,” said NHPCO President and CEO Edo Banach. “This requirement reflects the vital role that volunteers play in the hospice philosophy of care and ensures that a hospice program has roots deep in the community. Additionally, the value of time provided to the field is significant.”

More than 1.5 million people in the U.S. – and their family caregivers – are cared for by hospice every year.

“Hospice volunteers play an indispensable role in enabling hospice and palliative care organizations to offer the best care possible for patients living with life-limiting illness, their families and caregivers. By sharing their time, energy, and expertise, volunteers bring compassion and caring to the lives of those in need,” Banach added.

Hospice volunteers are honored for the service they provide to patients and family caregivers, but they also assist in the office, help raise awareness, contribute to educational programs, support grief and bereavement activities, provide fundraising support and more.

To help legislators better understand the many benefits of hospice care, NHPCO and Hospice Action Network launched the My Hospice Campaign in 2018. My Hospice was created to reinforce the value of the Medicare hospice benefit among policy and healthcare decision makers and to foster a policy environment that will support patient access to high quality, comprehensive hospice and palliative care.

To learn more about hospice or to find a hospice in your community, visit the NHPCO website.

Provided by NHPCO website