Clare Holland House is an inpatient hospice managed by Canberra Health Services, supporting people with life-limiting illness from across the ACT and surrounding region. Within this setting, Palliative Care ACT volunteers play an essential role in enhancing the care, comfort, and wellbeing of patients and their families.
As a volunteer, you become a calming and supportive presence in the hospice. Much of the role centres on companionship, spending time with patients, listening, talking, or simply being there. Some moments are filled with conversation and shared stories; others are quiet, where your presence alone offers reassurance and comfort.
Volunteers also support families and carers, offering kindness and understanding during an emotionally demanding time. By spending time with patients, you can give family members space to rest, attend appointments, or take a break, knowing their loved one is not alone.
Depending on the needs of patients and the hospice, volunteers may assist with everyday activities such as accompanying patients for walks, helping at mealtimes, reading aloud, or assisting with letter writing. Where trained and appropriate, volunteers may also provide gentle hand and foot massages to promote relaxation and comfort.
Through warmth, empathy, and respect, volunteers help create a welcoming, supportive environment where patients feel cared for, dignified, and valued, and families feel supported during one of life’s most challenging transitions.
At Clare Holland House, there are three shifts per day – breakfast, lunch and evening.
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.
