Youth Volunteering

To assist visitors to navigate their way around the hospital site and accompany them where appropriate. You will need to have a confident and approachable manner and a love of walking!

Duties and Responsibilities:

(under the supervision of trained staff)

• Be able to give appropriate directions or show visitors to the correct location
• Maintain patient confidentiality
• To maintain a polite and friendly manner at all times
• Once training has been completed you will be able to push a patient in a wheelchair to their destination within the hospital.

Patients often do not have visitors and feel socially isolated during their stay. Research has found that social interaction to combat loneliness and isolation is really important for health and wellbeing. We would like volunteers to sit and chat to patients and if appropriate, to engage them in activities which stimulate conversation and may improve their overall experience.

Duties and Responsibilities

(Under the supervision of trained staff)

• Liaise with a named member of staff who will direct the volunteer to the patients requiring help and support.
• Sit and chat with patients and engage in agreed social activities to encourage social interaction.
• Under the direction of staff, participate in patient social activity group sessions to help people take part in a variety of activities which enable the patient to maintain skills.
• Act as a link between patients and staff.
• Write in the hand over book which patients seen that day and write a brief overview of activities used with each patient.
• To report any concerns to the nurse in charge.

The role ranges from sitting with a patient to encourage them to eat and drink right through to actually feeding the food to the patient if required. It is really important to improve patient nutrition by providing feeding support and social care at mealtimes as it results in better nourished and hydrated patients. Ensuring patients eat and drink well is vital to their recovery and you will play a critical part in this. Training is provided, including Basic Food Hygiene.

Duties and Responsibilities:

(under the supervision of trained staff)

• Report to nurse in charge 20 minutes ahead of meal time to report attendance and receive ‘update’
• Prepare the bedside tables for the lunch or evening meal
• Ensure that the patient has access to any equipment they need for eating including false teeth
• Help with access to refreshments
• Take patients to Day Room for their meal if appropriate
• Create a sociable atmosphere and actively encourage eating and drinking and remind them if they have not finished their food
• Assist patients in cutting food and opening packets
• Assist with patient dignity. For example, this may be by wiping the patients face (with their permission) or ensuring they have a suitably placed napkin
• Ensure all food and drink is within easy range of each a patient and ensure the area is kept clean and tidy