Who oversees the Volunteer Care Teams program?
Volunteer Care Teams is a service of Full Life Care, a not-for-profit health and social services organization based in Seattle. Full Life is dedicated to improving the quality of life for adults and their caregivers. We help adults of all ages with chronic illnesses and physical or developmental disabilities regardless of their income. The program is funded by the King County Veterans Seniors and Human Services Levy.
Who are the caregivers who participate in Volunteer Care Teams?
The caregivers who participate in Volunteer Care Teams are unpaid family caregivers in King County. The caregiver must be caring for Seniors 55+ or caring for Veterans of any age, service members and their families.
Will the Volunteer Care Teams take place in-person or remotely?
We are considering both in-person and remote volunteering. This will depend on the caregiver that your team has been matched with.
What times will I complete volunteer service?
This is flexible, depending on caregiver’s needs and team member’s availability (covering for each other). Service hours are typically between 8:00 am and 8:00 pm.
Do I need experience working with people with disabilities in order to volunteer?
No, the primary focus of volunteer Care Teams is to support the caregiver (not care recipient).
Volunteers will not be asked to help with personal care or health care tasks, such as toileting, bathing, transferring, administering medications, or feeding care recipient.
What kind of training will I receive prior to beginning volunteer service?
Prior to beginning service, training is provided via online eLearning and a Zoom meeting with Care Teams staff. This initial training will orient you to program services, community resource information, health, safety, and confidentiality, and establishing visits, among other topics.
Staff will continue to support you and offer further guidance on an individual basis, once you and your team are matched with a caregiver.
What are volunteers NOT allowed to do?
- Volunteers will not lend or accept money.
- Volunteers will not perform any personal care or health care duties.
- Volunteers will not get involved with any financial or legal matters and cannot give legal or financial advice.
How do I know I’ll have a successful connection with my care team members?
We take into account the information you provide regarding key factors like geographical location, availability, interests, and experience level.
These key factors will be considered when developing each care team. Each care team will have a mix of volunteers that can support remotely and in-person.
Once your team is identified, you’ll meet with staff for a Care Team Formation meeting to establish your team structure, determine group forms of communication, and make plans together to support your assigned caregiver.
What if Care Teams isn’t the right fit for me?
Each team starts with a three-month trial period with their caregiver. While you are getting to know each other, a Care Team staff member will check in with your team and the caregiver participant once a month to monitor the progress of your relationship and provide support.
You can find support within your team and by talking with staff. Either you, your team, or the caregiver may choose to be rematched at any point.
What happens after the initial trial period?
If your team and your new caregiver participant are both interested in continuing your connection, your match will be finalized, and you will continue volunteering with your team.
What is the time commitment? And what if I can’t commit for the full duration, but I am highly interested in volunteering?
We ask that volunteers commit to a minimum of four hours of service per month (which includes a monthly team meeting) for at least one year.
Communicate with your team about scheduling and contact Care Team staff about major changes to your schedule or conflicts in time commitment.
