5 minute read
Three Cheers for Volunteers
Three cheers for volunteers
Volunteers are the great unsung heroes of many of our Hall & Prior homes, giving their time and compassion freely and regularly in WA and NSW. Margaret Rainer is one such volunteer and this is her incredible story.
Every year, people from all walks of life around the world take time to volunteer and make a huge difference to their communities. Here in Australia, we celebrated National Volunteer Week (NVW) in May, Australia’s largest annual celebration of volunteering. Hall & Prior homes in New South Wales and Western Australia welcome many volunteers each year into their homes to spend some quality time with our residents. The gift of time is one of the most precious gifts a person can share - and our volunteers do this selflessly, every day of the year.
One such amazing volunteer is Margaret Rainer, a longstanding friend of the Menaville Aged Care Home located in Rockdale, Sydney. Margaret is one of those incredible souls who offers genuine, kind and positive time and attention to the residents of the home, and this is her story, in her own words.
Volunteering brings people together; it builds communities and creates a better society for everyone. When I was 16, I volunteered in an aged care facility - Bexley Nursing Home (which is no longer there) on a Saturday morning for close to two years. My mother actually worked there so it was easy for me to come in and get to know the ropes. This involved me just visiting residents and spending time with them. I would mainly sit and chat to them, and I was limited by what I could do. I discovered that it was mostly about companionship and their desire to share stories with me. They were all cognitively-aware residents who were just frail, thanks to age, a very different situation to what Menaville has now, with lots of people challenged by dementia.
At 12, I decided that I wanted to be a nurse. I just had this innate need to care. I did not go on to become a nurse as I could not handle the blood and clinical side of the job but my need was fulfilled by the caring side of nursing. Around about this time, I would go to visit the local hospital in Arncliffe to give cards, flowers and any little toys I could rustle up while visiting sick children, to give them something. Things were very different back then; you could just walk into a hospital and visit without being a relative. My mother was a very caring person and through her, I connected to this very important side of myself - which is simply channeling compassion and love to people who are in need.
As far as volunteering goes, I came back to Menaville Aged Care Home last year but because of the whole COVID-19 pandemic I have been quite sporadic with my availability. My aim is to volunteer here one day a week, and if I can spare another day, then I would aim for two days. When I’m here, I am very passionate about the lifestyle of the resident and I try to support the lifestyle officer, but I also help the nurses when I can. I am all about connecting to the residents and staff and work towards the common goal of the best love and care. They need that time with a person.
I do have a favourite volunteering story I’d like to share too. There’s a resident here at Menaville who has always been a favourite of mine. She has been here for a couple of years and I wasn’t sure she would remember me. I would always try to do something different, so would do things like put a flower on my hat or wear something outrageous. This lady lives with a level of confusion, so I was overwhelmed and overjoyed when this she remembered me and even kept a photo of us together in
Margaret pictured with CEO Graeme Prior and members of the Hall & Prior Group, receiving an award.
Margaret Rainer, has been a much-loved volunteer with the Hall & Prior Group for many years.
her drawer. That was years ago now but it was very significant to me as a carer as I realised what a big difference one person can make to the lives of those in care. Especially those residents that don’t have a lot of family to visit them. So many residents express that to me, which I find quite sad, but that motivates me to lavish time and attention on them.
The ongoing impact of COVID-19 has been harsh on them, especially around lockdowns and visitation restrictions. It’s been a hard time for staff, residents and family. So I feel that any time you spend with any resident in any aged care facility is valuable. There’s a level of reaching out to someone, sometimes using the power of touch, a listening ear or a warm embrace; these things are significant to residents. What they crave is simple - genuine attention.
My goal as a volunteer is simply to make a difference, to go that extra mile and to be meaningful. Whatever I do here with the resident is about being meaningful to them. I want to spread love and meet my desire to give back to everybody I meet. Throughout my career, I have had so many great moments with residents, and learned so much about myself along the way. I believe I have grown with their help and I want to give back to them.
