What Does Volunteering in Home Visiting Look Like?
Volunteering in Palliative Care ACT’s Home Visiting Service is about being present, offering companionship, and bringing calm, comfort, and connection into someone’s home during a challenging time. As a home visit volunteer, you support people living with life-limiting illness in ways that are gentle, practical, and deeply meaningful.
Visits are usually one-on-one and tailored to the individual needs of each client and their family. Sometimes this simply means sitting together, listening, sharing conversation, or being comfortable in quiet moments. At other times, you might help with everyday tasks that make life a little easier, such as preparing a light meal or making a cup of tea, reading aloud, or helping someone write letters.
Volunteers may also assist with transport to appointments or outings, providing a friendly and reassuring presence along the way. For some clients, offering a hand or foot massage can be a simple but powerful way to promote relaxation, comfort, and human connection.
Just as importantly, home visit volunteers support family members and carers. By spending time with the person who is unwell, you give carers valuable time and space, whether that’s a chance to rest, attend to other responsibilities, or simply take a moment for themselves. This support can ease stress within the household and help families focus on what matters most: caring, connecting, and being together.
Home visit volunteering is about walking alongside people with compassion, respect, and dignity. Your presence helps create moments of comfort and normality, and your time makes a genuine difference to both clients and the people who care for them.
How to get involved
Getting started is simple:
- Complete a quick application form here
- Attend a pre-training interview
- Take part in our volunteer training course
- Begin volunteering with supported “buddy shifts” alongside experienced volunteers
If you’re looking for a way to give back that is truly impactful, volunteering with Palliative Care ACT offers the chance to make a lasting difference for others, and for yourself.
“It’s the tangibles and the relationships you establish, and the connections you make to people, that is the really rewarding thing” – Sarah, volunteer.
