A change of clothes, clean undies, or a comb might not seem like much, but it can make all the difference to someone experiencing an unexpected hospital stay.
Volunteers in Geriatric Emergency Department Intervention (GEDI) make their way around Hervey Bay Hospital engaging with patients and checking they have everything they need to be comfortable.
After spending the morning with Cherel Managh and Jannelle Koppen, you can see that it’s not just the trolly brimming with gifts that makes the GEDI volunteers so popular; it is the compassionate ear they lend to anyone needing to chat.
“Sometimes we might spend 20 minutes or more speaking with a patient because we can tell that is really what they need,” Janelle said.
“Sometimes it is because people are lonely, or we hear a lot that people are waiting for hours and the worst part is they don’t know what is happening.
“So if they have a distraction, it takes their mind off waiting for results and can have a laugh.
“When we walk away, we are leaving smiles on faces.”
Cherel added that it’s not just the patients benefiting.
“It’s also not just about the patients. It is about supporting the people with them; we make sure to offer them a coffee or biscuit because they have been waiting just as long at the ill person and are just as worried.”
The pair move seamlessly around the wards, remembering patients from previous visits and checking up on their progress.
Cherel and Jannelle are so in sync that once a patient mentions he has three little girls at home without a word they both start counting out handmade teddies for him to take home to them.
The pair have been doing the role for around three years, previous they had done other volunteer roles in the hospital.
“Once we heard about this, we thought, wow, this is going to be our cup of tea,” Cherel said.
“We just love it, and it is such a pleasure to be here on the wards with these wonderful people.
“We get to hear the most interesting stories from all the patients and their visitors.”
Janelle said a highlight of the program had been setting it up to make the most impact around the hospital.
“We have been here since almost the start and so we have been able to work out what is going to help best,” she said.
“Every time we came across a situation, we could think about it and add it to the list of things we can offer or support.”
They both agreed that it was an extremely satisfying role.
“We have the best volunteer job in the hospital.”
“People tell us they feel human again because they might not have brushed their hair in two days.