Calvary Health Care

David Brown has been a Volunteer at Calvary Health Care Bethlehem for over 5 years. David volunteers at the Community Palliative Care Day Centre every Wednesday and assists patients and Music therapists with their music therapy sessions.

Q. How did you come to volunteer at Bethlehem?

A. I was interested in doing some kind of volunteering when I stopped working full-time and one day I realised that palliative care fitted in well with my Buddhist beliefs about the interconnectedness of living well and dying well. Bethlehem is the main palliative care facility in my area.

Q. What do you enjoy about volunteering at Bethlehem?

A. The appreciation of the patients. It’s good to know you make a difference. I work in the palliative care day centre, and I enjoy the fact that patients, staff and volunteers all get on well and have a lot of fun together.

Q. What has been your best experience as a volunteer at Bethlehem?

A. When we put together a concert after several weeks of practice. It stretches everybody and we get a real sense of achievement.

Q. What would you say to anybody thinking about becoming a volunteer at Bethlehem?

A. It’s not for everybody, but if you’re interested, give it a try. There’s a variety of roles for volunteers that will suit a variety of interests, talents and ways people like to engage.

After taking early retirement 30 years ago and committing to put back into the community Renee found herself volunteering at Calvary Health Care Bethlehem by chance.

Wanting to work with children Renee was distracted when a good friend of her husband’s fell terminally ill in Melbourne when visiting from London. Never having met her before, Renee began looking after Mary at Bethlehem after she was diagnosed with cancer shortly after her arrival.

Not only did Renee and Mary become firm friends but the friendship altered Renee’s life. Doctors and the sisters noticed how well Renee cared for her new friend and were so impressed that they encouraged her to consider continuing her care at the hospital as a volunteer.

She took them up on it. This year is Renee’s 25^th year volunteering at Calvary Health Care Bethlehem.

Renee says she likes everything about volunteering at the health service. “I love looking after the patients. I love feeding them and making them as comfortable as possible”

“Whatever they want me to do I do” she says.

“I give my whole heart and soul here but it is not hard to do. It is a special place.”

“My advice to anybody considering volunteering is that you have to be prepared to give everything of yourself” she said “and leave your problems at the door. When you arrive at Calvary Health Care Bethlehem your need to come with empathy and humility. Your priorities are your patients.”

Renee’s most significant memory of volunteering was only 3 months after she started. That day three patients she had been close to and who were close to death, died within half an hour of each other and she was able to be with each of them when they passed away.

Because her friends are aware of Renee’s work caring for those at the end of their life she has been asked to help many of them deal with the diagnosis of a terminal illness. Renee’s experience is much valued by the volunteer service and she works buddying with and mentoring many new volunteers when they first arrive.

Sandra McCann was drawn to volunteering because she wanted to give back after witnessing the compassionate and comprehensive care her late husband Ronald received when he was cared for at home by the Calvary Health Care Bethlehem palliative care team at the end of his life.

Sandra’s husband had motor neuron disease (MND) and she volunteered first at MND Victoria then at Calvary where she has been for over a year now.

When she started, Sandra was originally visiting residents one on one in the Calvary Huntly Suites Residential Aged Care Home to offer them companionship and conversation but quickly formed the view that the residents would benefit from greater social interaction with other residents. The idea of a resident quiz was born.

When it first started there was only a handful of participants but each week through word of mouth the number of participants grew so that now there are as many as 18-20 residents involved in the quiz every Monday afternoon. And the residents are loving it. Not only is the quiz a lot of fun and the banter flows from start to finish but it also works as a catalyst for other conversations that follow and continue on long after the quiz has finished. It is this side of the experience that Sandra says is the most rewarding and enables her to leave Calvary Huntly Suites every week with a smile on her face.

A good return for a lot of preparation. Every Monday morning before she comes in, Sandra puts more than 2 hours into researching and tailoring the quiz for the residents but “it is so well worth it” she says as she leaves Calvary every week knowing that she has ma­de a difference.

Marianne has been volunteering at Calvary Health Care Bethlehem for the last 8 years and last year she celebrated her 90^th birthday with us.

Maryanne joined us eight years ago after over 30 years teaching English as a second language to people in their homes followed by 7 years working with Meals on wheels. Marianne also taught Spanish at Holmesglen TAFE for a number of years as well as German. After she stopped working Marianne wanted to give back and volunteering at Bethlehem caring for people at the end of life and in real need felt like what she really wanted to do.

Volunteering had been a part of Marianne’s life since she was a young child in Chile. When she was young there was a lot of poverty in Chile and it was a normal thing for Marianne and her family to volunteer their time to help look after those less fortunate than themselves. When she was young she volunteered with The Red Cross helping those without access to medical care to get the medical attention they needed. “I have always been driven to help the disadvantaged,” Marianne says. “If you can help, why would you not?” she asks.

“You have to give back to the community,” Marianne says. “Volunteering at Calvary Kooyong, I feel that I am able to do that.”

Q. What do you find most rewarding about volunteering at Calvary Health Care Bethlehem?

A. Bethlehem is a wonderful welcoming place – the whole atmosphere here is one of warmth and of giving. You can feel the care everywhere. The attitude of everybody here is of care for others and that makes it a very comforting place to be and a rewarding place to return to each week.

Q. What have been some of the highlights during your time as a volunteer?

A. I have really treasured some of the friendships I have forged with fellow volunteers over the years - all of whom share the same approach to the work we do here. I have also enjoyed the connections I have been able to make with patients and families. The most profound connections have been when I have been able to communicate with them in Spanish and that connection has been significant for both myself and them being able to truly communicate in our mother tongue.

Q. What would you say to anybody considering becoming a volunteer?

A. I would encourage anybody contemplating volunteering here at Bethlehem to really consider it. But you do have to be the right person. In my experience it is a great opportunity to forget about yourself. Looking after people in need of your care really takes you out of yourself in this world which is more and more about "me, me, me".

I am very thankful to Bethlehem for giving me the opportunity to work with such wonderful people. It enriches me. It is the most important day of the week for me and it really puts life into perspective and focus in on what in life is really important. I couldn’t recommend it enough.