Volunteer
Opportunities
in Montreal

• Maison de soins palliatifs du Sault-Saint-Louis Offrir gratuitement des services et des soins palliatifs à la personne adulte en fin de vie, quelles que soit sa provenance ou ses croyances religieuses, de façon à ce qu’elle puisse vivre ses derniers moments dans le respect et la dignité, et mourir pais Provide free palliative care and services to adults at the end of life, regardless of their origin or religious beliefs, so that they can live their last moments with respect and dignity, and die peacefully, surrounded by their loved ones in a warm and fa

Care volunteer - end of life

Offer number: 01452

• Maison de soins palliatifs du Sault-Saint-Louis Offrir gratuitement des services et des soins palliatifs à la personne adulte en fin de vie, quelles que soit sa provenance ou ses croyances religieuses, de façon à ce qu’elle puisse vivre ses derniers moments dans le respect et la dignité, et mourir pais Provide free palliative care and services to adults at the end of life, regardless of their origin or religious beliefs, so that they can live their last moments with respect and dignity, and die peacefully, surrounded by their loved ones in a warm and fa

Activity sector(s)

• Seniors
• Physical and Mental Health
• Other

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Type(s) of activity Personal assistance and moral support

District LaSalle

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Job Objectives: 

Provide practical assistance to the nursing team in caring for end-of-life patients and help create a caring and supportive environment. 

Working alongside the nursing team and care attendants, care volunteers provide practical assistance with hygiene, comfort, feeding, and helping patients move around. 

Care volunteers are always accompanied by a care worker when assisting with personal hygiene and must complete at least two shifts paired with another care volunteer before working alone.

Main Responsibilities: 

• Perform tasks assigned by nurses or patient care attendants (PCA) as needed.
• Support caregivers by assisting with patient comfort care (bathing, toileting, dressing, changing bedding, etc.).
• Offer empathy, a listening ear, and support to patients, families, and loved ones.
• If a patient or family member has a special request, check with the nurse to see if it can be accommodated (e.g., a massage, a portable bed for sleeping in the room, a visit from a pet, an outing, etc.).
• Assist patients during meals (put on a bib, set up the tray, help a PAB reposition the patient).
• Respond to the call bell promptly and notify a nurse or PAB of the patient’s needs.

General Qualities and Skills: 

• Excellent communication skills;

• Professionalism, attention to detail, and punctuality; 

• Comfort working with vulnerable individuals; 

• Ability to work effectively as part of a team; 

• Discretion, respect, and diplomacy;

• Ability to adapt to change and versatility; 

• Strict adherence to confidentiality; 

• Basic knowledge of how to use room equipment (bed, recliner, etc.) is a plus. 

• Physical ability to assist the nursing team; 

• Fluency in French and knowledge of English is a plus. 

Care volunteers are indispensable allies and teammates to the care staff. They provide support with basic care tasks such as hygiene, feeding, and mobility assistance. Care and companionship volunteers also play an important role in ensuring residents’ comfort and safety. In addition to all this, care and companionship volunteers provide attentive presence and comfort to residents and their families.

At all times, the volunteer’s role can be adapted based on the patient’s condition. The care staff will provide the specific instructions and recommendations tailored to each resident. 

Volunteers are not friends to residents and their families; they are not therapists or spiritual advisors. Their presence is intended to be an asset and a complement to the services provided.

For the following care tasks, care volunteers must be accompanied by a staff member (PAB/nurse/nurse’s aide):
    Assisting the resident with mobility;
    Transfers (e.g., bed to chair);
    Patient lifts (track-mounted and wheeled);
    Changing incontinence briefs;
    Full bed bath;
    Full hygiene at the sink;
    Hygiene in the shower or therapeutic bath;
    Changing bedding when the resident is bedridden;
    Post-mortem care/hygiene;
    Repositioning in bed;
    Assisting with dressing and undressing a bedridden person or someone with significant limitations.

Activities that care and support volunteers can perform independently
    Respond to call bells and notify the on-call staff if necessary;
    Make hourly rounds in the rooms;
    Fill and distribute water pitchers in the morning. Refill them as needed throughout the day;
    Ensure that the room is clean;
    Check whether the person is well enough or available to receive visitors;
    Collect the menus before each meal and bring them to the kitchen;
    Serve meal trays to the rooms and/or assist in the dining room (open containers and help prepare the tray as needed);
    Help the resident eat (always follow the nurse’s instructions);
    Clear the meal trays from the rooms and return them to the kitchen;
    Record the amount eaten by the resident;
    Accompany residents to common areas (for a mobile patient) 
    Chat, play board games or card games, listen, and provide reassurance;
    Assist with transfers or push a wheelchair;
    Make the bed, change the linens;
    Provide companionship in the room;
    Help the resident get comfortable in bed (e.g., tuck in the blanket, reposition the pillow, raise the head of the bed, etc.);
    Prepare supplies for bathing/showering;
    Disinfect the bathtub after use, as well as the bath and shower chair;
    Help the resident get dressed and undressed;
    Present the urinal to the person capable of using it independently;
    Empty the urinal;
    Oral hygiene:
    Prepare the necessary supplies so the resident can brush their teeth or for the PAB
    Clean dentures only if the resident can remove them on their own;
    Hygiene at the sink (if the resident is independent for the majority of the activity);
    Shaving;
    Serving snacks;
    Disinfecting equipment (toilet lever, basin, commode chair);
    Preparing the room for an admission;
    Assisting with clearing out the room following a death;
    Emptying trash cans as needed.
 

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Spoken Language(s) French

Specific Needs Accessible for deaf or hard-of-hearing people Available only evenings and weekends One-time or short-term commitment (2 months or less)

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Profiles of volunteers accepted:

• Individual

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Availability(s) sought by the organization

	Before noon Afternoon Evening
Monday	Afternoon
Tuesday
Wednesday
Thursday
Friday	Afternoon
Saturday	Morning Afternoon Evening
Sunday	Morning Evening

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