Welcome to new volunteers
Rose Heatley, a journalist and writer has been very involved in researching the role of volunteers in Care Homes and has written a study based on data collected from care home providers, activity organisers and volunteers. She now wants to get some hands on experience and at present she is helping a resident write his life story as well as supporting activities on the dementia unit.
Ruth Sousa is offering her services in helping with any extra administrative work that needs doing including stuffing envelopes for the Housekeepers Appeal.
Ann Brown comes in late on a Wednesday afternoon and specifically helps residents with supper on Birchlands.
Caroline Hart, Judy Besser, Florence Cohen, Heidi Blakey, Adele Hetherington, Annabel Wibberley, Lois Hawkins, and Suki Rose Lim have all volunteered their services as befrienders which is wonderful as they bring the outside world into the Home and a lot of pleasure to the residents.
Simon Heller is a young sixth form student who wishes to study medicine. He is visiting Archie Rein who belongs to the same synagogue and who encouraged Simon in his love for Judaism. Archie was thrilled to see Simon and the last I saw of the two of them was them battling out a game of Scrabble.
Carole Myers visits her mother on Ronson floor and became aware that on a Sunday many of the residents sit around with little to do, so she has become a volunteer and organises activities such as a board game or anything else a resident may like to do. She has become aware that often all a resident may wish to do is have a chat or walk in the garden or visit the Coffee Shop and being flexible, she adapts to the residents’ needs.
Cara Wyatt and Corinne Lloyd are our two new trainee drama therapists.
Kerry Ryan is involved with some research.
News from the Volunteers Office
EWS FROM THE VOLUNTEERS OFFICE
It seems like yesterday that I wrote the last missive from the volunteers’ office, but it was December and as I write this we are in the throes of Passover.
One news item that just won’t let me go is the sad story of Olive Archer who died on December 20th aged 83. The tabloids nicknamed her “Eleanor Rigby” (“died in the church and was buried along with name – nobody came…”). The minister, who was asked to conduct her burial service, was so saddened by the thought that it would be only him and a funeral director attending the funeral that he appealed in the press for anyone - family, friends or acquaintances to come forward and help give her an appropriate send off. Apparently, photos showed Olive as a beautiful young woman and he “couldn’t help but wonder what her hopes and dreams were. It just seems dreadful that, at the end of her long life, no one will be at her funeral to remember and celebrate her”.
Olive’s life consisted of looking after an invalid mother so that she never married or had children and although it is thought that she had a sister, they clearly had lost touch. The last five years of Olive’s life were spent in a care home where no one came to visit her.
It is this last sentence that particularly touched me. Nowhere in the press did it mention whether or not Olive had the benefit of a volunteer to come and make up for the lack of friends or family. For all we know Olive sat quietly in her room or in a public room watching the comings and goings of nurses, residents and their visitors. She may have shed a tear and have been comforted by staff but nothing makes up for having your own family, your own friends or your own volunteer who can give you the time that, so often staff just don’t have.
There is quite a lot of discussion in the voluntary sector at the moment about recruiting volunteers in private care homes. For some strange reason the private sector feel that it would be immoral to ask volunteers to come and help in what is essentially a for profit business. But, what about the residents? Just because they are paying the full price for living in a care home does not mean that they couldn’t benefit from voluntary input. I have said it before and will say it many times again. We are so lucky at Nightingale to have all you wonderful volunteers who give up your time to visit and chat to our residents. I would like to think that Nightingale will never have an “Olive” and that there will always be someone, be it family, friend or volunteer who will be there at the end of a long life to say goodbye and to celebrate that life.
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How you can help
In addition to a dedicated staff, the smooth-running of Nightingale also benefits from a team of hard working volunteers. The work of volunteers brings an added dimension to care at Nightingale from which residents benefit enormously.
How much time do volunteers dedicate to working at Nightingale?
Volunteers can give different amounts of time – from a few hours per week, to half a day, a day, and in some cases a several days per week. We can build a worthwhile volunteering assignment around the time commitment that you can give to Nightingale. The one thing we would ask of all volunteers is a regular commitment.
What do volunteers do?
Some volunteers help in a distinct area of the Home, working closely with Nursing staff to care for residents. Volunteers supplement the work of Nursing staff enabling them to provide an even high standard of professional care.
Some of the tasks that a volunteer might undertake working in a specific unit are as follows:
- taking residents for a trip out, including those in wheelchairs, or sitting with them in the garden
- reading and writing letters
- topical conversation with individuals or visiting lonely and shy residents
- listening to residents reminisce about their lives
- helping in the dining room
- playing board games, such as chess and Scrabble
- running an activity in the Unit and working with a small group
- giving a manicure
- welcoming new residents to the Unit
Other volunteers may be involved in a distinct project in the Home working closely with staff and other volunteers, for example:
- escorting residents to hospital appointments
- visiting residents who are currently in hospital
- helping at a social activity (a film show or concert in the Home)
- distributing books
- assisting in the Physiotherapy Department
- helping in the Synagogue
- arranging flowers
- working in an office … and more
The role, description and personal specification for each volunteer is different.
What qualities do I need to become a volunteer?
- Volunteers need to enjoy being with people, many of whom have diverse and varying backgrounds. They need an ability to put residents first and a professional attitude to their work
- Of course, all volunteers need to have patience, tact, understanding and common sense
Volunteering at Nightingale is an ideal opportunity to make new friends and also to learn or practise new skills. Ideal for those who might like to try something different … ideal for those who want to gain experience in a new field … ideal for those who want to “test-the-water”.
 For further information about volunteering opportunities at Nightingale please contact Helen Spiro on 020 8772 2378 (HelenSpiro@nightingalehouse.org.uk)
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