{"id":18186,"date":"2026-09-29T16:51:46","date_gmt":"2026-09-29T14:51:46","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/vostel.de\/blog\/ehrenamt-hospizarbeit\/"},"modified":"2026-09-29T17:55:29","modified_gmt":"2026-09-29T15:55:29","slug":"volunteer-hospice-care","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/vostel.de\/blog\/en\/volunteer-hospice-care\/","title":{"rendered":"Volunteering in Hospice Care: What to Expect"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

Every year, more than 850,000 people die in Germany. Most of them wish to spend the final stage of their lives at home and in familiar surroundings. The reality, however, is quite different, as the majority die in hospitals or nursing homes, many of them alone. This is precisely where volunteer work in hospice care comes in. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Volunteer hospice caregivers give seriously ill and dying people, as well as their loved ones, the time, attention and listening ear that are often lacking in the stressful daily routine of hospitals and nursing homes. In this article, we\u2019ll show you the current state of end-of-life care in Germany, which organizations provide support in this area, and what you should keep in mind as a volunteer if you\u2019d like to get involved in this special field.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Contents:<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

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  1. The Situation of the Dying and Their Loved Ones in Germany<\/a> <\/strong><\/li>\n\n\n\n
  2. How to Support Organizations and Volunteers in Hospice Care<\/a><\/strong><\/li>\n\n\n\n
  3. What to Keep in Mind When Volunteering in Hospice Care <\/a><\/strong><\/li>\n\n\n\n
  4. Find a volunteer position in hospice care at<\/strong> vostel.de<\/strong><\/a><\/li>\n\n\n\n
  5. FAQ – Frequently Asked Questions About Volunteering in Hospice Care<\/a><\/strong><\/li>\n<\/ol>\n\n\n\n

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    1. The Situation of the Dying and Their Families in Germany<\/strong><\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n
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    Each year in Germany, slightly more than one percent of the population dies, which amounts to several hundred thousand people. Surveys<\/a> consistently reveal a clear gap between desire and reality: About four in ten people would like to die in a hospice or end-of-life care facility. In reality, however, well over half of people spend their final days in a hospital or nursing home.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    Only a small proportion die in a specialized hospice facility (about 4.8 percent) or in a palliative care unit (about 6.2 percent). It is particularly distressing that many people die alone. In hospitals, this applies to about one in five people; in nursing homes, it is as high as one in three. There is also a great deal of fear surrounding this issue: About two-thirds of people worry that they will be left alone when they die.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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    2. What Organizations and Volunteers Do in Hospice Care<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n
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    What Hospice Services Provide<\/strong><\/strong><\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n

    In Germany, there are two forms of hospice care: outpatient and inpatient. Outpatient hospice services support people where they live, that is, at home, in nursing homes or in hospital wards. Inpatient hospices are standalone facilities with a family-like atmosphere where terminally ill people spend the final phase of their lives, on average about 22 days.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    These services are provided by major charitable organizations such as Caritas, Diakonie, the German Red Cross (DRK), AWO, the Johanniter, and the Malteser, as well as by numerous smaller, often entirely volunteer-run local hospice associations. The German Hospice and Palliative Care Association (DHPV)<\/a> serves as the national advocacy group for the hospice movement and connects the many individual organizations.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    Where did the hospice movement come from?<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n

    The hospice movement in Germany emerged in the 1980s out of volunteer efforts with the goal of providing psychosocial, spiritual, and in some cases medical support to people who are dying. Much has changed since then. The number of outpatient hospice and palliative care services has more than tripled since 1996. Today, in Germany there are:<\/p>\n\n\n\n