Beyond Medical Care: How Hospice Bereavement and Volunteer Services Support Families

Hospice care often is misunderstood as simply end-of-life medical treatment. However, at Southwest General Hospice, care extends beyond medical treatment to include emotional, spiritual and personal support for patients and their families.

In this article, Reverend Erin Guzmán, hospice chaplain overseeing spiritual care and bereavement services, and Stephanie Maricic, hospice volunteer coordinator, share what this deeper layer of care looks like. The two bring immense clarity to why these services are so important.

More Than End-of-Life Care

“I wish more people understood that hospice is not about giving up,” Maricic emphasizes. “It is about helping people live as fully and comfortably as possible for whatever time they have left.” Reverend Guzmán echoes that sentiment, framing death as a natural part of the human experience rather than a failure. “That experience of having to see that decline and offer care can still be done with dignity and with compassion,” she reinforces. “Death doesn't have to be a scary thing.”

Grief Before Loss

Grief often begins long before a loved one passes. Reverend Guzmán describes this as anticipatory grief, a process that can start the moment a terminal diagnosis is delivered. It is rarely simple. Families may grieve the loss of a parent's role, the loss of a childhood home sold to pay for care, or complicated emotions tied to the relationship itself.

“All different kinds of secondary losses come with that sort of initial moment of knowing that this person is terminal,” she explains. Bereavement support, she says, is about validating that difficulty. “It's normal for it to be hard.”

Sitting With Hard Questions

As a chaplain, Reverend Guzmán does not pretend to have answers to life's biggest questions. “The reality is there is no satisfactory answer,” she notes of why suffering happens. Her role instead is to be present—showing up in moments of uncertainty, and helping people understand that whatever they are experiencing is valid. Rituals, prayer, and reflection can help, she offers, but they work best paired with community. “You have to have people who can help affirm and give resonance to those prayers, those practices.”

When grief feels overwhelming, Reverend Guzmán recommends beginning with the body and its most basic needs. “First and foremost, you have got to breathe,” she urges. Moving the body, staying hydrated, and tending to basic needs matter more than people often realize.

Reverend Guzmán also cautions that grief looks different in every family member. “Don't expect everyone to grieve the same way that you are,” she cautions. “No one is a mind reader. You have to articulate what you need and what you don't need.”

A Dedicated Team of 75 Volunteers

Southwest General Hospice relies on a dedicated team of approximately 75 volunteers who provide support in many different ways. Greeters welcome families. Hands-on volunteers assist with blankets, feeding and companionship. Spiritual care and bereavement volunteers offer emotional support, including phone calls and cards to families after a loss. Veteran patients receive special recognition, including handmade afghans and blankets, pins, flags and a ceremony honoring their service.

“You don't volunteer at hospice unless you have the heart and desire to do that,” Maricic shares. “It takes special people to be here.” These personal touches matter deeply. “A crocheted blanket is more than just a blanket,” Maricic adds. “It represents time, thoughtfulness and love from someone who wanted to bring comfort to another person.”

For Those Considering Volunteering

Maricic wants everyone to know that experiencing nerves about hospice volunteering is completely normal. “Many of our best volunteers started with the same concerns,” she notes. Volunteers are never expected to have all the answers. “Often, the greatest gift a volunteer can offer is a listening ear, a caring conversation or quiet companionship.” Hospice volunteering is not simply about death. It is about helping people live with comfort, connection and dignity.

Supporting a Grieving Friend

For those wanting to support someone in grief, both women emphasize specific, tangible gestures over vague offers. “It’s helpful to offer specific support rather than making a general offer,” says Maricic. Instead of saying, “Let me know if you need anything,” offer to bring dinner on a particular day, pick up groceries or help with another specific task.

Reverend Guzmán adds an important caution: resist the urge to explain away someone's loss. “I would strongly urge you to not say under any circumstance that a loved one dying was part of ‘God's plan’,” she cautions. “That can be really kind of weaponizing spirituality against someone who's grieving.” Sometimes, saying less and simply showing up matters most.

A Message Worth Remembering

Both of these experts hope listeners walk away with the same core truth. “Hospice is about living, not giving up,” Maricic emphasizes. Reverend Guzmán adds, “It isn't scary to face and to acknowledge death, and it can actually be very sacred, meaningful work to care for someone at the end of their life.”

To learn more about Southwest General Hospice, including bereavement support and volunteer opportunities, visit swgeneral.com.