The Far West Local Health District is seeking applications for volunteers to become involved in the Community Palliative Care Volunteer Service based from Dareton Primary Health and servicing the surrounding NSW area.
Triona Allen, Community Palliative Care Volunteer Coordinator, is keen to hear from people interested in volunteering and who would like to provide companionship and support to palliative care patients and their carers.
'We are looking for people who are warm and understanding, with communication skills, emotional maturity, who are able to respect confidentiality and are accepting of others,' said Ms Allen.
'Most needed is a generous loving heart, a lot of common sense and the ability to just 'be' with people. You might sit and chat with someone, play cards, watch TV or even just be there while they are sleeping.'
If you believe you have good communication skills (specifically excellent listening skills), are warm, empathetic and compassionate and have a desire to volunteer with palliative care services, please contact Ms Triona Allen on 5021 7200 or +61 429 209 139 or by email at triona.allen@health.gov.nsw.au
'Volunteers need to be available for 2-4 hours per week, at a nominated time during the day between 9am and 5pm, Monday to Friday to visit patients in their home,' said Ms Allen.
It is important to have the most suitable people volunteering in the community palliative care setting and there is an application and recruitment process. This means that not everyone who applies will be selected to progress to the next stage.
Potential volunteers would need to contact Triona Allen for an application package. The selection process includes a police check and working with children check and if selected the next stage involves an interview, and those people selected after interview will attend an Induction Training Program prior to placement with a patient.
The recruitment drive for Community Palliative Care Volunteers coincides with National Volunteer Week of 20-26 May 2019.