The Martlets Hospice appeals for volunteers to join their new Community Home Visiting Service, launching soon to help support isolated patients.
Together two groups of volunteers will form a new service called the Community Home Visiting Service. Community volunteers will provide vital care to patients who are housebound, and struggling alone. Discharge buddies will support patients who are leaving the hospice inpatient unit, by helping them adjust to life at home on their own, and making sure that they feel safe.
Judith Williams, Discharge Coordinator at Martlets Hospice said: “When people leave the hospice they are often scared and feeling vulnerable, they’re leaving the InPatient Unit where they’ve had 24 hour care. This scheme will help to bridge the gap between the hospice and home. Our discharge buddies will help patients feel secure, they’ll see them through the door safely, unpack the suitcase and make sure there’s food in the fridge. Not only that, they’ll be around to help out for two to three weeks. Both these volunteer roles are really practical, offering hands on support – we’d love to hear from anyone who thinks this sounds like them!”
The Martlets has been successfully running a small-scale home visiting service since 2011 so the staff at the hospice know from experience what their patients need.
Volunteers visit once a week for a few hours, and will help with practical jobs like learning how to use a mobile phone, or sorting paperwork. Perhaps more importantly they also provide patients with time to talk about themselves; it’s a chance to forget about their illness for once.
If you’d like to find out more about becoming a part of the Community Home Visiting Service, contact Judith Williams or Stuart Carter on 01273 273400.
For more information about the Martlets, click here:
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