Making a Difference, One Visit at a Time
While Garden Village Aged Care Employees and Registered Nurses provide excellent care, there’s something special about the friendly faces of regular volunteer visitors. That’s where volunteers like Daphne step in, bringing conversations and connections into the lives of residents like Yvonne.
Yvonne is a fifth-generation first fleet Australian, who has a keen interest in Vintage Cars and loves to play card games and marpool bowls.
At 92 she has 16 grandkids and 18 great grandchildren. Like many Australians, Yvonne has lived in lots of different places across Australia including Sydney, Canberra, Nambucca and Port Macquarie. With family often located long distances away volunteer visitor schemes can make a real difference for older people who live in residential aged care.
A focus on friendship and fun
Yvonne looks forward to her visits with Daphne who volunteers through Linked Community Services to visit Yvonne once a week. The scheme is focused on friendship.
“We have lots of enjoyable conversations’ said Yvonne who has lived at Garden Village for a short time.
“I have been visiting Yvonne for the past six months, but have been doing Community Visiting for 15 years. Initially with CVS in Tasmania and then joined Linked when I moved to Port Macquarie,” said Daphne.
Daphne says there are many aspects to volunteering that she enjoys. “Possibly the main one is seeing my resident’s face when I arrive and the big smiles that greet me.”
The pair agree they both enjoy chatting a lot. Daphne said “I try to get Yvonne out of her room and we enjoy the musical sessions that are happening in Wintergarden. I have also played Scrabble with Yvonne and two other ladies. On warm, fine days we go into the courtyard. We’re just starting to try some new games and I am busy reading the rules for Quiddler.”
“I used to be a volunteer with Red Cross Emergency Services Tasmania and the courses I attended with them and CVS taught me an amazing amount, especially how to respond to different situations. I used to work as a radiographer so have had to handle people all my working life and when I retired wanted to keep helping people.”
What is the Aged Care Volunteer Visitors Scheme (ACVVS)?
Garden Village partners with Linked Community Services to support residents through the Aged Care Volunteer Visitors Scheme (ACVVS) providing friendship and companionship to older people to support social connections. ACCVS is free and available to anyone who is a permanent resident in Residential Aged Care or receiving any level of Home Care Package including those on a waitlist.
“Linked has a strong volunteering culture with many wonderful volunteers, all of whom make a valuable contribution to the work that we do in our communities. We thank all volunteers from Garden Village who give their time to this wonderful program and welcome new people to join us to bring a smile to someone’s day.” David Paff, Acting CEO, Linked Community Services. ”
Linked Community Services Volunteer Call Out
Linked is currently seeking new volunteers for the Aged Care Volunteer Visitors Scheme. Volunteers visit people across Port Macquarie in Aged Care and Home settings. Volunteer visitors are carefully matched to an older person based on shared interests and hobbies. Volunteers are not engaged in any nursing or personal care. Daphne said “I would recommend volunteering in Aged Care to others, but the right person. I have now visited 14 people in Aged Care, 11 of whom have now died. One has to accept that we all are going to die, but making their final days as happy as possible is a great reward. The visitor has to be nonjudgmental and also remember that anything discussed is private. There are many lonely people in both Aged Care and their own homes so volunteers are greatly needed.”
Considering Volunteering?
If you’re looking for a way to make a meaningful difference in someone’s life, consider volunteering in aged care. The rewards are immeasurable, and the impact you can have is truly special. Just like Daphne and Yvonne’s story demonstrates, a simple conversation and a shared experience can bring great joy to someone’s day.
