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HomeMy WebLinkAboutThe Wingham Advance-Times, 1989-04-04, Page 11VOLUNTEERS Wardrop®and Moffatt assist Art Jones of the Molesworth area a dur- ing Margarea ing exercise program at Wingham and District Hospital. Volunteers are honored for selfless dedication By Lavonne Ballagh Next week is National Volunteer. Week, a time set apart to remember and honor the sielfless, caring peo- ple who give of their time and ,tal- ents to benefit others. Nowhere is the volunteer more visible or more needed than in the health care field. Volunteers are invaluable -- as they minister to those in fragile or failing healt whether it is as part of a health ca team in an institutional setting assisting or visiting the sick an shut-ins in their own homes. An ambitious volunteer progra has been in place at the Wingha and District Hospital for 10 year Last year, in the rehabilitatio department alone, a total of 49 volunteer visits was recorded at th hospitals, 38 volunteers assisting the various programs co-ordinat by the department. Volunteers work in many areas the hospital, including Auxiliar workers who, in addition to bein involved in their own organization al activities, also help in the em gency ward and candy stripers wh assist the nursing staff. But th largest number of volunteers wor the umbrella of the rehabil services department whic includes the various therapy ser vices: physio, occupational, speech kinesiology and social work, a well as the reactivation program, visiting service, a rehabilitatio program and a clerical voluntee program. The reactivation program is fo people who are receiving long-term hospital care and for some inpa tients who have become disorient- ed or confused and who are in need of stimulation. The goals are t maintain or increase the person' level of functioning; to prevent o reverse the tendency of the institu- tionalized person t� withdraw or deteriorate and to maintain or improve the person's level of physi- cal and mental well-being. The volunteers do this by assist ing in carrying out exercises assigned by a therapist, by helping with activities such as games, pic- nics, horticulture, baking, crafts, music and discussion groups and by portering patients to and from activities. PLAY IMPORTANT ROLE Director of rehabilitation services at the hospital, Sandra Shantz, is co-ordinator of the volunteer pro- gram. She stresses that "volunteers play an important role in contribut- ing to the quality patient care for which we strive." Volunteers assist the' rehabilitation process tp wags that are both visible and intieil;l . Some of the more visible wa include assisting in a therapy, tering, helping with lunch and c fee breaks and socializing. The vo unteer also helps the patient in emotional adjustment to his disab ity and in his reintegration ba into the community If the volu teer, as a representative of the c munity, accepts him, then he can ys her area of service since. por- She remembers the early days as of- working in a "social club" setting, 1- where more out-patients .than in - his patients visited, often to give family il- members and other caregivers a ck break. That "club" has evolved into n- an all-inclusive circle which co includes in -patients and out - be hopeful that others in the commu- re nity will as well. The volunteer is or part of the normalization process. d Ms. Shantz talks to new volun- teers and conducts a screening pro- m cess, ensuring that applicants meet m certain requirements, perhaps the S. most important being the respect n for strict confidentiality. Potential 1 volunteers will then observe for a e few sessions to make sure they are in going to enjoy the new endeavor. ed Then, they will meet with their potential supervisors to learn what of is required of them. They work y with in -patients and out-patients, g some of these physically -disabled adults who come as day patients. er- Volunteers in the visiting pro - O gram visit patients, especially those e on the extended -care wing, to assist rk the staff in meeting the physical, li- emotional and social needs of the h residents. This is primarily a visit- - ing program whereby individual , attention.is given to the patient by s the volunteer. a Some of the activities the volun- n teer might help with include walks, ✓ rides in wheelchairs, cleaning eye glasses, playing cards or other ✓ games, reading, writing letters, set- ting hair/assisting with menu com- pletion and just chatting. After the visits, they report back to the pro- gram co-ordinator, indicating the o patients they have visited. s r The volunteers may also be asked to assist with clerical tasks in th rehabilitation services departmen or be asked to make phone calls help with other tasks relative to set ting up the programs. Co-op stu dents from F. E. Madill Secondary School also volunteer with the vanous programs. Ms. Shantz appeals to the public that more volunteers are alway needed and she urges people to think seriously about this very worthwhile, rewarding work. TEN-YEAR VOLUNTEER Jeanette Wardrop of Whitechurch has been a volunteer at the hospital since the inception of the program in 1979. She started with the Stroke Club in the summer of 79, organiz- ing rides and involved more in desk work, not associated directly with the patients. to the spring of 1980, she began her direct contact with the patients and that has been patients, stroke patients and suffer- ers of other debilitating illnesses and handicaps. Jeanette now serves as a volun- teer two days a week, devoting 8-10 hours a week When she arrives at the hospital, she is assigned a patient or patients , and she follows them through the day's activities. If they are in physiotherapy, she helps with physical exercises. A patient in occupational therapy receives help with perceptual prob- lems and someone enrolled in speech therapy is guided through exercises by a volunteer, only after that volunteer has watched director Pat Bingeman-Smith closely and can provide an extension of her teaching. The volunteer is not always assigned the same patient, but, over the period of a few weeks, works with several different out-patients and in -patients. Jeanette first became a volunteer because she wanted something to do in her spare time, yet she want- ed flexible hours and the freedom to come and go in a loosely -struc- tured environment. She enjoyed the hospital setting when she started in the Stroke Club and, after moving to direct contact with the patients, realized she had a special rapport with the people she was helping. She says she has learned "a tremendous amount" and she feels that if she or someone close to her e ever suffers a debilitating illness, t she will be better prepared and or more able to cope and be of assis- tance, - Learning to cope is -made easier for many patients because of the - assistance of the countless volun- teers in the conununity who give, so the quality of life is better for s others. During National Volunteer Week, their dedication is recognized and saluted by the many people they help. 0-0-0 Among women, breast cancer is the, most common form of cancer and the leading cause of cancer death. An estimated 11,500 new cases of breast cancer will be diagnosed in .198§p /el these to estimated 4,6ijb"vfili result fh dearth: ' take, their rc clbles to th n i.f y !� � � site- in f� racy l n iateriat are stationed at the Will site. 1. Newspapers: Whatever comes with a daily newt paper is acceptable. Please bundle or place in boxes or bags._ catalogues, telephonebooks e canines, 2. Glass: Household bottles and jars, preferably without the lids, must be rinsed or washed. Labels may be left .on: No win- dow panes, light bulbs, ceramics, por- celain or china. 2. Metal Cans: Food cans must be rinsed out. Pop cans are acceptable as is. Please flatten as much as possible. -f 3. Plastic Soft brink Containers: Please remove the lids. No other type of plastic containers (for example, plas- tic peanut butter jars, vegetable oil bot- tles, margarine tubs). The Landfill Site is Open: Wednesday 9:00 a.m. - 4:00 p.rn. Saturday 9:00 a.m. - 1:00 p.m. Be A Good Sort - Recycle 220 Josephine St. Wingham OPEN: Mon. -Sat. 9 am - 5:30 pm Friday 9 aril - 9 pm.