Volunteer with
Care New England

These positions are only available at Women & Infants and all of them are currently filled. Therefore, you should complete our online application if you would like to be considered for a cuddler role. However, since the program is designed for minimal turnover, recruitment is not done routinely.

In addition to the overall volunteer requirements, some additional standards are set for cuddler positions. These include:

• A minimum commitment of a weekly shift for at least one year.
• CPR training which is maintained throughout your service.

The gift shop volunteer position includes a variety of duties and responsibilities that requires the applicant to understand inventory in the shop to help the customers. In addition, accuracy, attention to detail, strong interpersonal skills and an ability to deal with cash transactions are important for this role.

If you possess these skills and are able to make a regular commitment to at least one or two shifts each week, please email EFish@kentri.org for more information

Are you looking for a rewarding opportunity to volunteer your time and give back to your community? The VNA of Care New England Hospice is looking for people who care about terminally ill people and want to make a difference in the life of a dying person. We have a number of volunteer opportunities that can be done at home, in our offices, or with patients. Training is provided that includes monthly gatherings for ongoing education and volunteer companionship. Make new friends and learn a new skill, all while making a positive impact on hospice patients in your community.

Caring Calls

If you want to help hospice patients and or family members who are scared, lonely, or need support, volunteer to call adult terminally ill patients or their families. These calls are made from the VNA offices in Warwick and might include skype, chat, or phone chat. Volunteers can offer community updates, local news, and general friendly conversation.

Guardian Angel

Spend time sitting with a dying patient who is living in their home, assisted living, or nursing home, so they don’t die without a person by their side. Guardian Angel volunteers provide a calming and peaceful presence during the end of life at someone’s home in the community.

Coordination Crew

Work in the hospice office supporting the hospice volunteer coordinator.

Creative Crafters

Opportunities exist to work directly with terminally ill patients and their family members to create legacy/memory books and to help children of terminally ill parents by providing a distraction from illness. Work from home and still contribute to the community by creating busy blankets for patients with dementia or knitting/crocheting lap blankets for hospice patients.

Patient Volunteer

Patient volunteers make visits to terminally ill patients during daytime or evening hours to provide one-on-one companionship, helping caregivers with light chores or staying with the patient so the caregiver can get out of the home for enjoyment or errands. Responsibilities may also include clerical duties in the office, light cooking for patients, or running errands for terminally ill patients.

General volunteers make visits to terminally ill patients during daytime or evening hours to provide one-on-one companionship, helping caregivers with light chores or staying with the patient so the caregiver can get out of the home for enjoyment or errands. Responsibilities may also include clerical duties in the office, light cooking for patients, or running errands for terminally ill patients.

Candidates must be over 18 years of age and be willing to make a one-year commitment to service following your training for positions in the patient's home. For information, call the VNA of Care New England Hospice at (401) 737-6050 or email BBagbygrose@vnacarenewengland.org.

Many projects and activities required to support our patient care services happen behind the scenes in an office environment. Office assistant help is needed in departments to support the communications and documentation needed to maintain programming. Whether collecting data and statistics for reports, entering information and data into computer software programs, filing and organizing records or providing other clerical support, Office Assistants are part of administrative teams across the system. We appreciate the level of attention to detail and precision that administrative volunteers bring to departments to support their key functions.

If the following is the case for you, you may want to inquire about an Office Assistant position:

• You enjoy being based in an office setting.
• You prefer a specific list of tasks to accomplish during your shift.
• You would rather work with a consistent group of staff rather than with a changing group of patients and families.

Patient and family-centered care is an approach to health care that shapes policies, programs, facility design, and day-to-day staff interactions. It leads to a more informed allocation of resources, better health outcomes, and greater patient and family satisfaction. At Care New England, we embrace the philosophy of patient and family-centered care and offer many hospital patient and advisory councils. We understand that our patients, their family members, our community partners, and our staff have invaluable input that can enhance our professional knowledge and improve the way we provide care for every patient.

For more information or to become a member of one of our councils, please contact:

• Butler Hospital - Diane Block, PhdD, OTR or call 1 (401) 455-6598
• Women and Infants Hospital - email MTRoas@wihri.org

This position requires you have your own certified therapy dog trained to work in a hospital environment. We know that spending time with pets makes us feel good and enriches our lives. The Pet Therapy Program taps the benefits of this interaction to decrease a patient's stress and enhance the healthcare experience by providing visits with your certified therapy dog trained to work in a hospital environment. The dogs also make a difference to the staff and patients' families.

Additional benefits of pet therapy are:

• Positive therapeutic experiences to help minimize the stress of the hospital environment.
• Reduced anxiety and enhanced coping skills by providing a distraction from illness and hospitalization.
• Increased normalization of the hospital experience by making it more "home-like."

If you have a certified pet therapy dog and are interested in volunteering at a Care New England facility, submit your inquiry.

Volunteers can also provide customer service and support to patients and staff in our busy nursing care units. While volunteers cannot provide care to patients, they can extend compassion and assistance to ensure staff, patients, and family members feel supported. All volunteers in this role will need to complete transport training to move patients around the facility and connect them with services or to take them to the door where their rides await to bring them home. Additional guidance will be provided on the units when you begin. A number of factors, including your availability will determine placement in a specific department.

If the following is the case for you, you may want to inquire about a Unit Assistant position:

• You are comfortable interacting with various staff, patients, and families.
• You enjoy seeing what the shift may hold - as patient volumes and individual patient preferences often determines what help is needed on any given day.
• You are comfortable spending one-on-one time with patients and, sometimes, their family members, often while transporting them via wheelchair.
• You can navigate a large facility, often helping locate needed supplies and equipment.