Goulburn Valley Hospice Care Service is readying a group of volunteers to get back into the homes of patients in palliative care after a COVID-19-related hiatus.
Working specifically with people nearing the end of their lives, members of the palliative care patient volunteer group gathered on Tuesday, June 14 at Rotary House in Shepparton to refresh their past training.
“Palliative care is more so about getting to know the patients, and for people to live more comfortably with their conditions,” GV Hospice community engagement and volunteer co-ordinator Maree Chin said.
“Nurses come visit patients in their homes and the patient care volunteers supplement that by visiting, so they might be companions for the person they’re visiting or they might just come and give the carer relief from some 24-hour/seven care.“
Marie Colbert has a nursing background and on retirement she wasn’t entirely ready to let it go; instead, she began volunteering as part of the program.
From home visits to taking clients for appointments or even out for a cup of coffee, Mrs Colbert said the whole experience was rewarding.
“They are very inspiring people, very brave and they don't really want to dwell on what's going on,” she said.
“You do learn so much from them and they give back more than we can give them, I think.”
Mrs Colbert originally did her training to become a palliative care volunteer in 2013.
Since then, due to COVID-19, she said it had been an “up and down” journey, but she was looking forward to getting back out there.
Mrs Colbert has had patients she saw weekly for up to two years before they were admitted into full-time care, inevitably forming a bond.
“Some of them do become friends if you’ve been with them for a long time,” she said.
“I’ve found if clients get a volunteer that’s well-matched, they usually try to manage to have some quality experiences with their volunteers, things that they may not have done otherwise.”
Ms Chin agreed and said the level of trust developed with patients could be a release for patients too.
“Sometimes they are able to express their feelings that they might not be able to express to their family members just because they are too close,” she said.
“That relationship becomes one of trust and communication, and that’s one of the modules we provide.
“That's really important, especially in a culturally diverse community, like Shepparton is, we have to make sure that people are listened to and their needs are met — that's the role of the volunteer.“
GV Hospice is looking for more volunteers to join, if interested, contact 5822 0068.