NHS issues urgent appeal for care home volunteers

Torbay and South Devon NHS Foundation Trust is issuing an urgent plea for volunteers to help people to remain independent in their care home.

Volunteers play a vital role in supporting the NHS, such as meeting and greeting people when they arrive at hospital and helping them get to where they need to be; helping patients to eat and drink well to aid their recovery; or making sure patient notes and records are collected and delivered.

While there are around 400 volunteers working in roles across the trust, there are only eight care home volunteers, who play an important role helping residents to remain independent, reduce an avoidable hospital admission, and help the NHS to focus on providing care for people, in the right place.

Care home volunteers play an incredibly important role supporting and befriending people, including those with a range of health conditions, frailty, and in some cases dementia, helping to reduce the impact of loneliness of people’s health and wellbeing.

Torbay and South Devon NHS Foundation Trust’s Volunteering Coordinator Nick Payne has organised a week of events in September to share more about the benefits of volunteering to encourage more people to sign up.

He said: “Our care home volunteers are our unsung heroes. There’s lots of research that shows social interaction combats loneliness and isolation and is important for health and wellbeing, and spending time talking to people who live in care homes and encouraging them to take part in activities has enormous benefits and can even reduce them being admitted to hospital.

“We are incredibly grateful to our team of amazing volunteers who give up their time to help in our hospitals, but we are desperately looking for more people to help support our care homes. It’s a really rewarding and varied role, and ranges from talking to people, helping at mealtimes, playing games and even helping them to use digital technology so they can keep in touch with their friends and family. You don’t need to have any experience as full training will be provided, and you can give as little or as much time as you are able.”

Sam Ebden, Registered Manager at Pendennis Care Home, said: “As a care home, we find the NHS volunteers who come to us and spend time with our residents an amazing addition to their daily lives. The volunteers spend time chatting, assisting with activities, and providing company during mealtimes with the residents, and the fact they are a new face means that they make different connections with our residents.

“I would say to anyone thinking of becoming an NHS volunteer in a care home to give it a go and make that difference to someone’s day.”

Nick will be at:

• Tesco in Newton Road, Newton Abbot on Monday 08 September from 9am to 3:30pm
• Morrisons in Totnes Road, Paignton on Thursday 11 September from 9am to 3:30pm
• Newton Abbot library in the Passmore Edwards Centre, Market Street on Friday 12 September from 9am to 1pm.

Volunteering is a great way to make a big difference and meet new friends, gain a new experience, enhance your CV or college and university applications, and to support the NHS and your community. All NHS volunteers are trained and supported in their roles.

If you are 16 or older, and want to help enhance the experience and care of patients in Torbay and Sour Devon, please contact Torbay and South Devon NHS Foundation Trust’s volunteering team by calling 01803 656272 or visit the volunteering pages.