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Volunteer opportunities at the Freeport Site
Patient services:
- Coffee and conversation - A drop-in social time for our patients. Serve complimentary coffee, tea and water to our patients, families and visitors during “coffee and conversation”. A nice time to visit.
- Day hospital - Be part of the day hospital team. Volunteers complement the role of staff to carry out tasks, accompany patients and assist in activities.
- Recreation - Assist recreation therapists with various programs: drop in music, gardening, discussion groups, adult education, Bingo, Tai Chi and special events.
- Horticulture - Have knowledge of, or an interest in flower arranging? Brighten the day of patients and visitors alike by creating beautiful bouquets from donated flowers.
- Unit volunteers - Volunteers provide a sense of caring, comfort and casual interaction to our patients by assisting with meals, visiting and encouraging participation in activities and programs.
- Joke junction - Humor as therapy is the basis of this volunteer service. Deliver a smile or laugh with patients by setting up a funny video or share a humorous book or story.
- Information/portering - Be a pathfinder! Greet and escort patients, families and visitors to various departments and clinics within the hospital. Friendly volunteers are needed to lead people in the right direction!
- Village hair studio - Porter patients to and from their hair appointments, as well as help schedule hair appointments and billing.
- Geriatric assessment unit volunteer - Visiting one-on-one with the patients and encouraging participation in activities and programs. You will have the opportunity to develop your own group program.
- Complex continuing care volunteer - Visiting one-on-one with patients and encouraging participation in activities and programs. You will also have the opportunity to develop your own group program.
- Exercise program assistant - The functional enhancement unit provides an intense rehabilitation program to improve functional ability, maximize level of independence and enhance quality of life. Volunteers are needed to assist the instructor with setup and clean-up of the program.
- Library volunteer - To provide friendly interaction with patients and to offer outreach and reading services to residents who are unable to visit the library.
- Palliative volunteer - To provide a sense of caring and comfort to the patients on the unit and to their families. Provide emotional support to patients and/or family members diagnosed with a terminal illness.
- Pet therapy - To facilitate a satisfying social interaction between an animal and patients.
Retail:
- Gift shop - Work in attractive surroundings and help our patients, staff and visitors select their purchases. Opportunities are available to become merchandise buyers.
- General store - Assist customers with purchases of beverages, sweets, snacks and ice cream. Fresh coffee, tea and hot chocolate are for sale, as well as sandwiches and small entrée items.
... several other opportunities are also available.
Opportunities at the KW Site
Patient services:
- Patient registration - Volunteers meet and greet outpatients who arrive to register with patient registration, making sure that everyone is seen in a timely and orderly fashion and providing escorts when required.
- Day surgery - Duties include greeting patients, supplying snacks and refreshments after surgery, assembling patient charts and assisting patients when discharged.
- Dialysis and friendly visitor program - Be part of the hemodialysis team by visiting with patients undergoing dialysis. Volunteers are needed to porter patients, offer water to patients, provide assistance to staff and interact with patients during their stay.
- Emergency - It’s a STAT! Volunteers are the first point of contact for patients and visitors coming to the emergency room and offer general information and directions. Volunteers assist staff by providing support, reassurance and compassion to patients and their families.
- Information/portering - Greet and escort patients, families and visitors to various departments and clinics within the hospital. Friendly volunteers are needed to lead people in the right direction!
- Medicine - This is a non-surgical unit. These patients are mostly seniors that are in the transition of moving to a nursing home. The volunteer’s role requires you to take the initiative to interact with each patient. Visiting patients may include making a cup of tea, to reading the newspaper aloud, to organizing a game of bingo for a group of patients etc.
- Medical imaging - Volunteers help patients make their way to the x-ray department from various units in the hospital and assist with coordinating the flow of patients.
- O.R./recovery - Serve as a liaison by greeting and providing comfort and support to patients and/or visitors and families awaiting surgery, or waiting in both the operating room or recovery waiting rooms. Inform families of patients’ status in surgery and/or recovery.
- Pre-surgery - People who are supportive and have good listening skills are required for this position. Volunteers assist patients through registration and escort them to various hospital departments for tests and assessments.
Retail:
Gift shop - Friendly and smiling faces are required to help customers select just the right gift and ring up the sale. The gift shop is located in the main lobby and stocks flowers, cards and of course, gifts! Several shifts are available throughout the week.
Opportunities at the Grand River Regional Cancer Centre
The volunteer program at the GRRCC operates in partnership with the Canadian Cancer Society. Volunteers strive to enhance the personal well-being and comfort of the patients and their families and friends with highly motivated and compassionate volunteers.
All volunteers at the cancer centre are carefully screened and have attended training sessions developed by the Canadian Cancer Society. Volunteers help make patient visits as easy and comfortable as possible by:
- Offering directions or an escort to a patient’s treatment area;
- Helping patients complete their edmonton symptom assessment score (ESAS) using touch screen technology;
- Sitting with patients and their families while they are waiting or having treatments; and
- Assisting in the resource centre to find information/education materials.
In addition to the outpatient cancer centre, volunteers can be found supporting patients in the family lodges, the Look Good Feel Better program and the inpatient oncology unit. All of the volunteers are dedicated to providing excellent and compassionate care.
To become a volunteer we ask that you:
- Be treatment free from cancer for a minimum of 13 months;
- Wait a minimum of 13 months if you have experienced the loss of someone close to you from cancer; and
- Be available for a minimum of six consecutive months and a minimum of one shift each week. Shifts are an average of four hours.
Qualities we look for in our volunteers:
- Compassionate
- Patient focused
- Non-judgmental
- Flexible
- Takes initiative
- Positive attitude
- Team player
- Able to take direction
- Sense of humour
For more information on how to become a volunteer at the Grand River Regional Cancer Centre, please call 519-749-4300 ext. 2613. |
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