Volunteers must be 16 years old and must sign up for at least 45 minutes a week. They can choose to do activities like reading and crafts directly with patients in their homes, assisted living facilities or nursing facilities, or to work in the Crossroads Hospice offices in Independence and Lenexa on things like writing patients’ “life journals.”
Potential volunteers must complete an application, submit a tuberculosis skin test and attend a training session led by members of the Crossroads team. They’re also asked to wait a minimum of one year after the death of an immediate family member or loved one before applying.
Crossroads Hospice operates in five states and is subject to Medicare rules that require hospice providers to have 5 percent of their services delivered by volunteers.