Volunteer visitors needed

There’s a need for volunteers for the Dr. Andrew Pavilion at the Summerland Health Centre.

Volunteer co-ordinator Launa Stocker says they need volunteers to visit with residents at the seniors’ care home.

There is always need for more,” said Stocker. “Especially this time of year, we do get some of the regular volunteers that go away, lots of snowbirds that take some time off in the winter.”

Volunteers help out with patient comfort, helping to improve the residents’ quality of life by visiting with them, perhaps playing games, doing puzzles or just sitting and talking.

“Coffee volunteers are always needed, they come to serve coffee to the residents while the staff is doing day-to-day nursing,” said Stocker, adding that they are looking for volunteers of any age.

“I’m starting to recruit some younger volunteers that have some time after school. Not necessarily with the candy striper program, but would like to go in on the weekend and help out.,” she said. “We’re really trying to expand it (Volunteer program).”

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“They help out with patient comfort, helping to improve their quality of life by playing games with them, they do puzzles.

It’s not physically demanding, but volunteers need to be able to interact well with people.

“They need to be able to interact well with people. Especially with an elderly population, there might be some people with dementia, so they have to have a little bit of compassion around that, understanding and patience,” said Stocker. “They are not doing any lifting or that kind of stuff and there is no long time standing. People with any kind of mobility issues would still fit in well.”

Volunteers also help with day-trips for the residents, helping them get loaded onto a bus and on their outing in the community.

“They don’t really need to commit a whole lot of time. Even if they just have a couple of hours a week that they can help out, that is very appreciated,” said Stocker, adding that many volunteers tell her how rewarding volunteering is.

“Just knowing that you are being able to give back to the community; who knows we all might end up in residential care at some point,” she said.

Stocker is holding a volunteer fair this weekend in Penticton, where they are recruiting volunteers for Penticton Regional Hospital, where the new tower is expected to be completed in 2019.

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“We’re looking for upwards of a hundred volunteers at PRH,” said Stocker. “We’re going to be doing a volunteer fair on Nov. 17 in Cherry lane Shopping centre from 9:30 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. Anybody can come by and get information on both because I look after the volunteers at PRH as well as the Summerland Health Centre.”