Easily improve quality of life for an older person
Can you spare 1 hour a fortnight to talk on the phone? It’s pretty easy and can make someone’e day. Particularly when that someone is an older person living at home alone or in residential aged care.
Social isolation can be a major problem for older people, and is more pronounced in rural and regional areas. By providing regular social contact, you can really improve quality of life for an older person. The benefits include:
- Improved mental health
- Increased self esteem
- Feelings of happiness
- Sense of purpose
- Reduced feelings of isolation, depression and anxiety
Join the Community Visitors Scheme
If you want to help, you can join the Community Visitors Scheme as a volunteer visitor.
The scheme coordinates volunteers to connect with older people in their homes and in residential aged care, providing safe, regular companionship and social engagement for the recipient. And volunteering has also been proven to increase positive mental health and sense of happiness for the volunteer (read here).
The Community Visitors Scheme is an initiative of the federal government, operating nationally for over twenty five years. We deliver the scheme throughout NSW from Tweed Heads to Grafton and inland to Kyogle.
What do Community Visitors Scheme volunteers do?
Connection between a Community Visitors Scheme volunteer and a recipient are informal and relaxed, and may be via letter writing, telephone, video chat or, wherever possible, in person.
Volunteers and recipients co-create activities together and might share stories, play a game, read a book, watch a movie or listen to music together. If a recipient is mobile enough, they may both be able to go for a walk, drive, or visit a local place or community event.
Register as a volunteer by connecting with our CVS Officer Ebony. Call 02 6621 7397 or email ebonylayton@nrcg.org.au. Read more about the Community Visitors Scheme here.
