Role Description: Dementia Activities’ Volunteers

Thank you to Laura Shalev-Greene Head of Volunteering at Kingston Hospital NHS Foundation Trust for sharing this document.

About this role:

Volunteers can provide time and companionship to patients at Kingston Hospital who have been affected Dementia. At present, only certain wards allow visitors (one visit of 40 minutes per week per patient allowed on designated wards) and many patients have or have no visitors of their own. This role involves spending time with patients, running small group or 121 activities of interest to them, reading aloud to patients and finding out about people’s lives.

What is the commitment?

As this is a role that can be done from home, we are asking for volunteers to give up to three hours per week. This can be done all in one block, or split over the week for greater convenience.

What will I be doing?

• Connecting with patients via A Touch Away - a secure app which facilitates one-to-one virtual meetings.
• Finding ways to build rapport with patients and find common ground to talk about
• Introducing activities, such as presentations, cross-words or reading aloud from a newspaper/website
• Recognising when patients’ have additional needs that are beyond the boundaries of the role that require feedback to the ward.
• Liaising with the Ward, Dementia & Delirium Team and Volunteering Team.

What Skills, Knowledge and Experience is helpful in this role?

• Comfortable and confident talking to people from all walks of life
• Comfortable and confident downloading an app and utilising your personal technology to contact patients via the technology available to them in hospital.
• Great at cross-words!
• Enjoys public speaking

Essential requirement / commitment

• Over 16 years of age
• All Dementia Volunteers will require a DBS check
• Commitment of 3 hours per week for a minimum of 6 months
• Live, work or study within a 5 mile radius of Kingston Hospital
• Before you get started with your volunteering role, you will be invited to refresh your knowledge of Information Governance via an online platform for e-learning, E-Learning for Health.
• Participation in the training relevant to your role and confidential discussion of any reasonable adjustments required to meet your needs.
• To live our values through your volunteering role at Kingston Hospital:

How will I be supported and what will I gain from this opportunity?

• Join an enthusiastic volunteering team of people who want to make a difference, just like you.
• Learn new skills and develop existing skills.
• It can contribute to your personal development and confidence.
• You will be making an important contribution to your local community throughout your volunteering journey at the hospital.
• Invitation to 2 x annual awards to celebrate the support our volunteers give. An opportunity to meet other volunteers at the trust.
• Annual refresher training.
• A reference to support applications – please kindly note that this is only provided after our minimum commitment has been met.

For the full document please download the attachment.

You may also be interested in:

• Podcast: Alzheimer’s Society Special – Impact of Patient & Public Involvement on Research
• Role profile: Dementia buddy – An example at Northampton General Hospital
• Words in Mind: Evaluation report - Manchester Metropolitan University and Lancaster University

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