Volunteering Service Guide: Adult and Older Adult Companionship Service

A companionship service focused on improving the emotional wellbeing of adults identified during a hospital stay. Adult patients across multiple wards e.g. older adults, cancer, burns and plastics, spinal rehabilitation. Staff identify patients that will benefit from the service such as those older adults and/ or those with anxiety, depression or no visitors. Trained volunteers mainly provide bedside support.

This guide uses learning from the Companionship Service, 'Engage' being delivered in Salisbury NHS Foundation Trust. The purpose of the guide is to provide a potential service adopter with the information needed to be able to:

a) Decide if the service would be of benefit to their organisation

b) Understand what considerations are needed to adapt the service to their environment