“I’ve been volunteering at Hospiscare for a number of years now – it’s even been a while since I got my five year badge!
“I’d worked in the care sector most of my life, and I wanted to carry on doing something active and interesting after I retired. I volunteered in day care at Pine Lodge, but when the opportunity came to work one-to-one with people as a Care Navigator, I took it. Volunteering at Hospiscare really makes me feel useful even though I’m getting older myself!
“A typical day for a Care Navigator really depends on who I’m working with. For some people, I can be helpful by staying at home with my one-to-one and giving their family a chance to have a break or a trip into town. With others, I take patients out to a garden centre or even on day trips further afield.
“As a volunteer I’ve got to be prepared to put myself in other people’s shoes. Sometimes people I work with can’t easily communicate with words, so it’s important for me to be able to communicate without speaking and to be understanding.
“I get as much out of volunteering as the people do who I work with, and it gives me a good reason to go and do things I might not otherwise have done. It’s little moments like sitting with my one-to-one by the seaside in Exmouth, or stopping off for a punnet of freshly-picked homegrown strawberries, and just seeing the look on her face – that’s what makes it all worth it.”
If you’re interested in volunteering with Hospiscare, call 01392 688068 or click here.
