The following is a letter from Maureen Hicksman, the Lifestyle Services Coordinator.
Lilydale Bolton Clarke
“This amazing idea was from Peter Los who rang up and asked me to have a chat about making a difference to our aged residents who are isolated in Aged Care and importantly seeking to make a difference with a team of volunteers who want to give companionship and time to others.
Peter and I met a number of times as he shared about this program, and I spoke of our residents at the home.
We have 85 residents and from them I chose 22 residents that I felt were in need of special friendship support.”
Many of them do not get visitors and most of them rarely come out of their rooms.
We got together and started matching up volunteer profiles to residents with similar upbringings, similar hobbies and interests, and some with the same work histories.
Once the project began the engagement has been amazing. For some we saw immediate positive change and slower for others.
Significant changes in residents included:
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- Residents have gone out in wheelchairs who never leave their rooms. Some were taken to the café by volunteers for coffee.
- Residents taking walks in the garden with volunteers.
- Residents being read stories which they are have not been able to read due to impair vision.
- Residents enjoying music with volunteers.
- I always see bright smiles when they know their friend (volunteer) is coming.
- Resident reminding volunteer- “when you were here last time you left your hat here so it is in the cupboard.” They remember them and are keen to see them again.
We continue to see very positive changes in the lives of the people here that the volunteers have built friendships with. I have no hesitation in affirming and supporting the work of Seniors Hope.
Maureen Hicksman
Lifestyle Services Coordinator. Lilydale Bolton Clarke
RSL Care RDNS Limited ACN 010 488 454 – Level 3, 44 Musk Avenue, Kelvin Grove QLD 4059