Volunteers ease the misery of loneliness
HOSPITAL patients without friends or family to visit them take longer to recover and need more medical support, nurses say.
Nearly two in five patients receive no visitors and more than a third were more likely to stay longer in hospital.
Research found more than half of nurses say volunteers provide essential support for patients who have no one to visit them.
They told the Royal Voluntary Service (RVS) that patients who do not have regular company are less likely to be mobile or stimulated through conversation and less likely to follow medical advice.
RVS ward volunteer Christine Thorne, 37, who helps at Aberdeen Royal Infirmary, provides company for patients, cuts up their food and cleans up any spills.
She said: “It makes me sad to think there are people in hospital with no one at all to see them.
“Hospitals can be a scary place at the best of times, more so if you don’t have a friendly face to help you through it.”
Susan Webster, a senior charge nurse at the hospital, said: “Volunteers make a real difference to the ward and we are lucky to have such a dedicated team.
“They provide company for the patients, some of whom don’t get any visitors and can be left feeling isolated. You can’t put a price on the value of that social interaction, especially for our older patients.”
The NHS Long Term Plan asks hospitals to double numbers of volunteers in the next 10 years and the RVS believes helpers can ease the workload of busy nurses.
Sam Ward, of the RVS, said: “Volunteers have a huge amount of potential to support both NHS staff and patients.”
Sixth-former Tessa Yau, 17, who is an RVS helper at Aberdeen Royal Infirmary and hopes to become a doctor, said: “I’ve gained a new appreciation for
older people. They often have a wealth of experience and numerous stories to tell, which can be very entertaining.
“Sometimes the conversations are less light-hearted, as patients can be agitated and keen to leave, or in some cases grieving about the loss of a loved ones.
“These are more challenging, but are incredibly rewarding, especially when they tell me I’ve cheered them up.”
● For more information or to find volunteer roles in your area, visit the RVS website at www. royalvoluntaryservice.org. uk or ring 0330 555 0315.