108 Bargara Rd
Bundaberg East, Qld, 4670
IMPACT Community Services is calling for volunteers in Mount Perry and Biggenden to join its Aged Care Volunteer Visitors Scheme (ACVVS), a friendship program that connects volunteers with older people who may be experiencing social isolation or loneliness.
The ACVVS, which has been running for over 30 years, provides regular visits to older people living in aged care facilities or at home that provide companionship, support, and meaningful connections that can improve the quality of life and well-being of the older people.
The program currently services the Bundaberg and North Burnett regions but has recently received requests from areas that have never had volunteers, including Biggenden and Mount Perry.
IMPACT is looking for volunteers who live in these areas or are willing to travel there to visit older people who need a friend.
ACVVS Program Manager, Heather Hinsbey, said the ACVVS was a valuable program that made a positive difference in the lives of both the volunteers and the older people.
“Our volunteers are compassionate, caring, and dedicated people who love spending time with the older people and brightening their day,” she said.
“We will match you with an older person who is experiencing social isolation, so you can make regular visits in their home or facility. It’s a wonderful opportunity to make a real difference in someone else’s life, and both the visitors and older people can benefit from each other’s life experiences and wisdom,” she said.
All volunteers are provided with training and support to ensure they are comfortable with their role.
“We provide orientation, police checks, ongoing training, and regular contact and feedback to our volunteers,” she said.
Ms Hinsbey encouraged anyone who was interested in volunteering with the ACVVS to contact IMPACT and find out more.
“If you have some spare time and a big heart, and you want to make a difference in someone’s life, we would love to hear from you,” she said.
To find out more about the ACVVS or to apply as a volunteer, visit IMPACT’s website, or call 07 4153 4233.
Stroke survivor Rob Vinson has music back in his life again thanks to Community Visitors Scheme volunteer Anita Ferry.
A previously talented and active member of the Bundaberg community, Rob’s life ground to a halt after suffering a stroke in February of 2020. The blow to his health came just months after the passing of his beloved wife, Margaret, who he cared for during the last 13 years of her life.
Previously heavily involved in local music as both a singer and pianist, the stroke left Rob unable to use his left side, turning his life upside down overnight.
Before his stroke, Rob, a former tax consultant, also enjoyed painting, knitting, crochet, ceramics, and cross stitch. He was also a talented wedding cake baker and decorator, dressmaker and a champion ballroom dancer.
“I lost everything,” he said.
Rob went from living an active life in the local community to being stranded at home, and he fell into a deep depression. Through the Aged Care Assessment Team, Rob was put in touch with IMPACT Community Services’ Community Visitors Scheme Coordinator Heather Hinsbey and was asked if he would like someone to visit him.
The Community Visitors Scheme pairs volunteer visitors with elderly people in the community and aims to combat social isolation and loneliness.
Heather and her team paired Rob with Anita and the rest, as they say, is history.
“Having Anita visit has meant everything,” Rob said.
“Anita has got me out of depression, and I really look forward to her visits.”
Anita brought music back into Rob’s life, playing the keyboard and singing with him as well as sharing morning teas, playing Scrabble and helping with whatever she could.
Recently during her visiting time Anita has helped Rob to sort through items in his house, organising many donations to op shops and local libraries.
“Whilst sorting through the items it was like going down memory lane for Rob, and I learned so much about Rob and the things he’s done and people he has known,” Anita said.
“He’s such an interesting man. I come here and I learn things. He’s an amazing man,” she said.
Anita has also joined Rob in making Christmas dinner several years in a row.
“If I can help, I do it. I admire him so much,” she said.
Rob said that being part of the Community Visitors Scheme and having Anita visit has changed his life.
“Having Anita visit has been a world changing experience for me,” Rob said.
“I really look forward to Anita’s visits, she’s one in a million!”.
Anita, who has volunteered in different capacities for her whole life, said she loved giving back to the community and encouraged everyone with a spare hour a week to get involved in the Community Visitors Scheme.
“It’s so joyous to meet these wonderful people that you wouldn’t meet otherwise,” she said
Rob has gotten so much out of being a recipient of Community Visitors’ Scheme visits that he has asked if it is possible to help other people suffering from social isolation by being a phone companion.
“I might not be able to play a game or anything like Anita does, but I could brighten someone’s day by being on the other end of the phone,” he said.
Community Visitors Scheme Coordinator Heather Hinsbey said the scheme was currently looking for new volunteers.
“If you have a spare hour a week and would like to make a new friend, please consider volunteering with IMPACT Community Services’ Community Visitors Scheme,” she said.
“Our volunteers take great pride in becoming a regular friendly visitor and enriching the quality of life of these people. Perhaps you’ll enjoy having a game of cards, listening to music, playing a board game, taking a short walk outside, help to write letters, reminisce about days gone by or simply have a chat and a cuppa.”
Heather said volunteers are asked to visit a minimum of once a fortnight doing something both the visitor and recipient enjoy.
Volunteer opportunities are available in Bundaberg, Monto, Gayndah, Childers and Gin Gin.
If you’d like to know more about volunteering, call Heather on 0448 035 891 or 07 4153 4233.
Yvonne Spokes knows what it’s like to be lonely. That’s why two years ago she joined the Community Visitors Scheme run by IMPACT Community Services. Yvonne, who is also a member of a walking group, was looking for something more in her life when she first heard about the scheme, which connects volunteer visitors with elderly people in the community. Excited to ease the loneliness in someone else’s life, she immediately signed up and was paired with Barbara Wheeler, now aged 96.
The two hit it off immediately and have formed a very special bond. Through their weekly visits they have introduced their families to each other and support one another through the highs and lows of life.
Barbara said she was surprised when asked if she’d like a visitor, but Yvonne’s visits have been life-changing.
“[I was] asked one day if I’d like a visitor, and I said yes please so Yvonne started to visit and we’ve become very close friends,” she said.
“She has made so much of a difference to my life. I used to talk about the things I didn’t like in my life, but Yvonne has taught me to stop doing that and to live in the moment. Now I live for each day. She’s like a light when she comes into the room, and I always get a hug!”
Interviewing the pair together, the special bond they have developed since joining the Community Visitor Scheme is clear. They both smiled as they reflected on their shyness the day they met, however they soon overcame this and formed a friendship like no other.
“After Yvonne came and we started to talk, it made me feel like I still have a place in the world,” Barbara said.
Yvonne says she looks forward to their weekly visits as much as Barbara does, and has found comfort in the strong connection the two have formed.
“For me, it’s like having my mother back again,” she said.
“We can say anything to each other… we’ve found that we’ve led very similar lives and we have a lot in common!”.
This month, the Community Visitor Scheme is celebrating it’s 30 year anniversary. The program links visitors with older people who live at home and receive an aged care package or live in an aged care facility and aims to combat social isolation in the elderly. There are currently 125 volunteer visitors taking part in the program visiting people in Bundaberg, Childers, Gin Gin and North Burnett.
Program manager Heather Hinsbey said IMPACT welcomes volunteers aged 18 and over to join the program.
“If you have a little spare time, would like to make a new friend and change someone’s life for the better then we’d love to talk to you about joining our Community Volunteer Scheme,” Mrs Hinsbey said.
“We will partner you with an older person who is experiencing social isolation, so you can make regular visits either in their home or aged care facility. It’s a wonderful opportunity to make a real difference in someone else’s life, and both the visitors and older people can benefit from each other’s life experiences and wisdom,” she said.
The Community Visitors Scheme provides a regular familiar face for an aged person to interact with, whether that be with a cuppa and a chat, board game, or even walk.
The program ask that volunteers visit a minimum of once a fortnight and spend time doing something you both enjoy.
For more information on the scheme, call Heather on 0448 035 891 or 07 4153 4233. You can read more about volunteering with the Community Visitors Scheme here.
At just 24 years old, Ariah Goodluck is leading the way for young people to help combat social isolation and connect with society’s older generation.
The young electrician recently joined IMPACT Community Services’ Community Visitors Scheme, a friendship program that links volunteer visitors with people living in aged care facilities or who receive in-home care throughout the Bundaberg and Burnett regions.
Ariah’s enthusiasm is infectious, and several of her friends and family members are also planning to volunteer in the program, which aims to tackle social isolation in older people.
The television show Old People’s Home for Teenagers inspired Ariah to join the program, with the content hitting close to home as she regularly observes elderly family members losing friends and family and attending funerals.
While she hasn’t yet made her first visit, Ariah said she was looking forward to forging a new friendship and benefiting from the wisdom the older generation has to offer.
“I saw the difference [the friendships] made on the show and… it’d be nice to bring a bit of light to people,” she said.
Ariah is encouraging others to get involved in the Community Visitors Scheme, with friends, her mother and even her 93-year-old grandmother keen to join. Her grandmother, who is part of her inspiration for taking part in the scheme, is teaching her to play cards in preparation for her visits once she is matched with a participant.
Ariah said she feels it’s important to reduce loneliness in older people, and by taking part in the scheme she hopes to allow them to feel like they have family again.
“For the small amount of time you can give, you can make a big impact in someone’s life,” she said.
Scheme coordinator Heather Hinsbey said she would love to see more young people involved in the Community Visitors Scheme, as they have different skills and life experiences to bring to the table, including the ability to share knowledge of technology.
Heather said: “We ask that you visit a minimum of once a fortnight spending time doing something you both enjoy.”
“You might like to go for short walks outside, play card games, help to write letters or even just have a cuppa and a chat,” she said.
IMPACT’s Community Visitors Scheme celebrates 30 years this year and is a valuable community volunteering opportunity that has been improving the lives of our isolated older people. Volunteer opportunities are available in Bundaberg, Monto, Gayndah, Childers and Gin Gin.
Interested in volunteering? Call Heather on 0448 035 891 or 07 4153 4233.
Feeling lonely, particularly for the older people in our community, is no small matter - it can have a significant impact on one’s wellbeing.
According to the World Health Organisation, ‘a large body of research shows that social isolation and loneliness have a serious impact on older people’s physical and mental health, quality of life, and their longevity’.
WHO state, ‘the effect of social isolation and loneliness on mortality is comparable to that of other well-established risk factors such as smoking, obesity, and physical inactivity’.
For many older people in our community experiencing social isolation can be combated by volunteers with the Community Visitor Scheme.
When volunteering with Community Visitor Scheme at IMPACT Community Services, you can spend at least an hour each fortnight visiting people in aged care facilities, or whom have home care packages.
This friendship program is about enriching lives, so it’s important that you are both enjoying the time you spend together. Some of the activities IMPACT’s volunteers do are playing cards and board games, listening to music, going for a short walk, having a cuppa and a chat or even letter writing.
People may be experiencing social isolation for myriad of reasons, from little contact with friends or relatives, to feeling isolated from their culture and heritage, and mobility issues that prevent them from taking part in social or leisure activities.
CVS volunteers can improve help people feel less lonely.
While no one is immune from feelings of loneliness, we can do our part to make friends, family and older community members feel a little less alone by volunteering.
IMPACT has been delivering the CVS in the region for nearly 30 years, helping thousands of people stay connected and find new friends.
Quality social connections play a huge role in our wellbeing, and by volunteering with CVS you could be making a positive difference in the life of someone else, and yourself.
IMPACT has volunteering opportunities Bundaberg, Monto, Gayndah, Childers, and Gin Gin.
To find out more about volunteering at IMPACT, phone Heather on 0448 035 891 or 07 4153 4233.
The 2022 theme for National Volunteer Week is ‘Better Together’, and it couldn’t align more to the vision of IMPACT Community Services’ Community Visitor Scheme.
The CVS is a friendship program which links volunteer visitors with people who live in aged care facilities or at home throughout the Bundaberg and Burnett regions.
This year marks a massive 30-year milestone for IMPACT’s CVS program, with several volunteers participating for more than two decades themselves!
Since having been involved in the CVS pilot program and three decades of delivery, IMPACT estimates more than 2800 volunteer positions have been filled and thousands of people have had someone to call a friend.
And it is not just the residents who benefit from the program, but also those who are volunteering.
By sharing skills and stories with one another, valuable connections and friendships can be made.
As part of the visit, perhaps you’ll enjoy having a game of cards, listen to music, play a board game, take a short walk outside, help to write letters, reminisce, or simply have a chat and a cuppa.
The CVS volunteers are asked to visit at least once a fortnight and spend time doing what they both enjoy.
IMPACT Managing Director Tanya O’Shea said she could not be prouder of the CVS volunteers who give their time to meet with local residents, socialise, and minimise potential impacts of isolation, particularly for people who may not have regular visits with family or friends amid the Covid-19 pandemic.
CVS volunteer opportunities are available in Bundaberg, Monto, Gayndah, Childers and Gin Gin.
This week for National Volunteer Week and every week, IMPACT gives its thanks to all those who volunteer to help improve the lives of fellow community members.
For more information about IMPACT’s CVS program visit www.impact.org.au or phone 4153 4233.
If you’re looking for a place to start on that New Year’s resolution or desire to give back to the community, IMPACT Community Services’ Community Visitors Scheme is here for 2022.
And we’re looking for more volunteers to join our dedicated team.
The CVS is a friendship program linking volunteer visitors with people who are isolated at home or live in aged care facilities throughout the Bundaberg and Burnett regions.
For CVS coordinator Heather Hinsbey, the world of volunteering is among her passions rather than simply a job.
When Heather took up the CVS role in 2014, she had an understanding of the importance of a program which sought to provide connection, conversation, and compassion for the elderly who were in great need of company.
Not long after her mother passed away, Heather started volunteering too.
“It was therapeutic for me,” she said.
Heather said, “they were like mums”, full of understanding and they had many pearls of wisdom.
While she probably would have found her way to volunteering eventually, Heather said it was beneficial for her when she did.
She said volunteering was rewarding in many ways, particularly in gaining perspective, and even developing as a person.
Through CVS volunteering Heather said you gain an appreciation for what people have been through and how they have paved the way for future generations.
Heather said the CVS team was always looking for more people to join.
She also encouraged anyone with a culturally and linguistically diverse background with compassion for older people and an interest in volunteering to contact IMPACT.
She said people can be very socially isolated and this can be amplified for people with a different cultural background and if there’s a language barrier.
The CVS team has volunteers throughout Bundaberg, Gin Gin, Childers, Gayndah and Monto.
CVS provides a regular familiar face for an aged person to interact with, whether that be with a cuppa and a chat, board game, or even walk.
The program ask that volunteers visit a minimum of once a fortnight and spend time doing something you both enjoy.
Heather said the volunteers love what they do. Some have multiple people they visit!
If you would like to start the new year with some volunteering, call 0448 035 891 or 07 4153 4233.
For more information click here.
By Tanya O'Shea, IMPACT Community Services' Managing Director
"STRONGER TOGETHER" is a weekly column where Tanya explores key issues. This week Tanya focuses on volunteering and IMPACT's Community Visitors Scheme.
As human beings we often need a sense of connection and community.
While solitude can be a form of relaxation and peace for some, social isolation for extended periods of time can have adverse impacts on one’s mental health.
This time of year in particular can be a very lonely time for people in our community who, for a range of different circumstances, are without close family and friends to spend time with.
But IMPACT Community Services volunteers are dedicated to ensuring they aren’t alone.
And we’re looking for more people to help us make a difference.
The Community Visitors Scheme is a friendship program linking volunteer visitors with people who are isolated at home or live in aged care facilities throughout the Bundaberg and Burnett regions.
The value of friendship and community interaction is truly priceless – as human beings, having a sense of belonging and self-esteem are significant factors of our needs and mental health.
If your mental health starts to be impacted, your sleep quality may be reduced, as can your self-care, while you may experience increased feelings of anxiety and/or notice a change in your behaviour.
Friendship and positive social interaction can improve self-esteem, stress management, confidence, and even moments of joy and laughter.
As a CVS volunteer your presence truly is a present.
Whether you’re there to have a cuppa and a chat, play a boardgame, listen to music or go for a short walk, you could be enriching the quality of life for the people you visit.
CVS provides a regular familiar face for an aged person to see and gives them something to look forward to.
The program ask that volunteers visit a minimum of once a fortnight and spend time doing something you both enjoy.
Volunteer opportunities are available across the region in Bundaberg, Monto, Gayndah, Childers and Gin Gin.
If you’re looking to find a way to volunteer and give back to your community, the Community Visitors Scheme may be the perfect way for you to spend your time.
Regardless of skill set, we love engaging with people with varied backgrounds and welcome all volunteers as valued members of our team.
Call our CVS coordinator Heather on 0448 035 891 or 07 4153 4233 to get involved.
It takes someone with a big heart to spend their time volunteering to help others.
And IMPACT Community Services’ Community Visitors Scheme is full of those people.
Recently the CVS held its annual celebration where dozens of volunteers were recognised for their contribution to the program and most importantly the lives they impact.
The Community Visitors Scheme is a friendship program linking volunteer visitors with people who are isolated at home or live-in aged care facilities throughout the Bundaberg and Burnett regions.
Having run for more than two decades, the program asks that you are able to visit a minimum of once a fortnight and spend time doing what you both enjoy.
Whether that be a game of cards, listening to music, playing a board game, taking a short walk outside, help to write letters, reminisce about days gone by or simply have a chat and a cuppa.
Simply having a presence can make the world of difference and ensure someone doesn’t feel isolated and alone.
Among the presentation were Certificates of Designation, 1 Year Certificates, a 5 Year presentation, two 20 Year milestones and one 25 Year award.
Those who attended the celebration were also treated to two live performances.
Barry Bishop sang two songs which captured the essence of friendship and togetherness which the program prompts.
While Melody the clown had just about everyone on their feet dancing before lunch was served.
For anyone thinking about volunteering, there are CVS opportunities available across the region in Bundaberg, Monto, Gayndah, Childers and Gin Gin.
Regardless of skill set, CVS love engaging with people with varied backgrounds and welcome all volunteers as valued members of our team.
Call our CVS coordinator Heather on 0448 035 891 or 07 4153 4233 to get involved.
By Tanya O'Shea, IMPACT Community Services' Managing Director
In a time where travel and visiting interstate is trickier than ever, and national mental health concerns are on the rise, visiting our lonely and elderly residents has never been more important.
Bundaberg and the surrounding districts typically have ageing populations and, with that, a rising need for kind-hearted volunteers.
It’s easy to become caught up in the hustle and bustle of everyday life, but unfortunately that often means our elderly can become an afterthought.
IMPACT’s Community Visitors Scheme (CVS) knows this, and has been operating its aged visitor service in the Bundaberg region for over 28 years.
The CVS program provides much needed companionship to older people who wouldn’t otherwise engage in much social interaction; if any at all.
It provides a regular familiar face for an aged person to see each week and gives them something to look forward to.
I have heard countless stories over the years about how much our volunteers brighten up the lives of others.
One particular volunteer that comes to mind is Roy McGuiness who retired from volunteering last year after 28 years with CVS.
He was one of our first volunteers when the pilot program began in 1992, and will continue to be an inspiration to us all.
His kind and giving attitude to relationship building set the tone for our volunteer program, and his achievements will continue to be well respected by all at IMPACT.
Roy was sad to be leaving the volunteer program to focus on his own health, but his parting outlook was that it was time to give others a go.
The CVS program is always looking for more volunteers, and in more areas than just Bundaberg.
We also operate in Monto, Gayndah, Childers and Gin Gin, with our staff recently participating in the Gin Gin Seniors Expo.
The unfortunate reality is that there are lonely people everywhere, and we need volunteers to provide company to isolated community members in these uncertain times.
For as little as an hour each week, you could make a real difference in somebody’s life.
It is truly inspiring to see the difference we and our volunteers can make to people suffering from a lack of interaction.
I am incredibly proud of our CVS team and the fact we have been providing this important service in our community for almost 30 years.
I can’t thank our wonderful staff and our selfless volunteers enough for their time and commitment to improving the lives of others.
It’s people like this that are worth their weight in gold, but we always need more.
Get involved today and give the gift of friendship to someone in need; you’ll be surprised at how rewarded you will feel within yourself.
Phone Heather today on 0448 035 891 or 07 4153 4233.
It’s easy to get caught up in the day-to-day demands of leading a busy life, but it’s important to remember there are pockets of our community that face barriers to human interaction which can lead to ongoing loneliness and depression.
When Ken Dewe was visiting his wife Jean in her nursing home, he witnessed firsthand how rarely some people received visitors of their own.
Being so close with his own family, Ken felt for the people who had nobody.
“My wife was in a nursing home for two-and-a-half years before she passed away, and I saw other people in there who just didn’t have anyone visiting them at all… at any time whatsoever,” he said.
“I just thought it was not quite right that someone be left alone without relatives coming.
“Of course they may be overseas or in other parts of the country, but sometimes it seemed like they just didn’t care.
“The staff said it happened more times than you’d know, and that’s why I wanted to volunteer.”
Ken met many people during his time visiting Jean, and one such person was IMPACT Community Services’ Community Visitors Scheme (CVS) Coordinator Heather Hinsbey.
He said Heather was visiting other residents there and they would talk about various subjects related to the aged in the Bundaberg region.
“Loneliness itself is a bit of a disease,” Ken said.
“We’re a herd animal and we need to be sociable.”
Ken now visits two elderly people and likes to think his company provides some comfort to them.
“They quite like it, but unfortunately I’ve got a terrible sense of humour,” he joked.
“I just try and cheer people up… the real art of it is listening.”
Ken said sometimes all they want is a small chat, or to be asked how they are and how they’re feeling that day, which is so simple to do.
“I thought I’ll try and do my little bit,” he said.
“It’s much easier to smile than frown.”
You too can make a positive difference in an elderly person’s life, for as little as an hour a week.
Heather said people usually started volunteering for the benefit it provided to the elderly, but volunteers soon realise how rewarding the experience is for them as well.
“It’s not a job, it’s a joy,” Heather said.
The CVS program operates in Bundaberg, Monto, Gayndah, Childers and Gin Gin and will be attending the Gin Gin Seniors Expo on Thursday August 19.
To find out more about CVS and the wonderful impact you could make, phone Heather on 0448 035 891 or 07 4153 4233 or visit impact.org.au/volunteer.
“We pretty much just fell into volunteering,” Desley said during Volunteer Week. “I was visiting a friend and Charmaine asked if I would visit someone else as well. Doug kind of just got ‘dragged along’.”
Desley has a long history of volunteering. She grew up the daughter of a Rotarian in a Christian family, and they were taught to give back to the community and make it a better place for everyone.
“For us, the Christian principles of loving, respecting and caring were just the way life was for our family,” she said.
“My Dad, especially, was a very church and community-minded man.”
Today, Doug and Desley volunteer for a number of different reasons.
“A very large part of it is how good it makes us feel to give pleasure to someone else,” Desley said.
“There are some truly amazing people living in aged care. They have had fantastic and interesting lives sometimes, and sometimes they are just lovely people to know. And they are so very grateful for your care and attention. It makes you feel really good.”
Desley says that as retirees, it could be so easy to just vegetate and in due course feel no longer useful or needed. But volunteering gives them a sense of purpose, a reason to get out of bed in the morning, and a feeling of being needed, loved and appreciated.
Even while COVID-19 restrictions were in force, Doug and Desley kept up their friendships, albeit at a distance.
They built a fish tank and stocked it with goldfish and installed it in their garden, ran a raffle with the help of a local business, helped from outside the facility to run "The Monto Show Day", and produced numerous letters, signs, banners and patchwork quilts to keep in touch with their friends.
“It's a feeling of being valuable in someone else's life.” Desley said. “And, believe me, there is nothing better than feeling needed, loved and wanted."
"We love our Timber Time group. The camaraderie around the table when all the ladies have paint on their hands, and the men are chucking off at them, and we are laughing at something funny or someone's memory of other times, makes something we all treasure.
“Also the pleasure we all get when we look at the Christmas and Easter decorations that we have made together and the folks are so proud of, and the joyful greetings from so many when we walk into the room. The lovely, handmade thank-you cards they sent us in Seniors Week will be treasured forever.”
Desley has the perfect advice for people thinking about becoming a volunteer.
“Everyone has a choice - whether to be a user or a giver. If you are a user, you live in a community, make use of what is offered, but do not contribute or give anything of yourself. If you are a giver, you'll be run off your feet. Too busy to be lonely. Too valuable to be overlooked or forgotten.”
If you're not sure how to begin, she offers this advice:
“Anything that interests you interests someone else. Find that someone else and you have made a friend. Friends are very precious. You can't have enough of them,“ she said.
“Volunteering in an aged care facility is probably the most rewarding job either Doug or I have ever had, or are ever likely to have.”
Call IMPACT’s Community Visitors Scheme Program Coordinator Heather Hinsbey on 0448 035 891 or 07 4153 4233.
By Tanya O'Shea, IMPACT Community Services Managing Director
Our senior citizens make up a large part of our community in Bundaberg.
It’s important that the generations who helped build our region to what it is today are still treated as valued members of the community.
That’s where our Community Visitors Scheme shines bright.
IMPACT’s CVS program has been operating in the Bundaberg region for over 28 years and provides much needed companionship to older citizens.
Loneliness has been linked to premature death and poor physical and mental wellbeing.
Statistics from 2018 show that instances of Australians experiencing loneliness increased from the age of 70, from 13% of the population to almost 20% in those aged 80 or over.
Caring for others has been identified as an important safeguard to prevent or reduce loneliness, which is why our CVS program is so vital.
Visits can assist in several ways, and they don’t always have to be in person.
This offers a compromise in times of COVID restrictions, a flu of any outbreak, or when a volunteer falls within a high-risk health category.
Visit an elderly person with IMPACT's CVS program
While many of our volunteers visit the elderly in their homes or aged care facilities, some of our visitors are trialing online communications through digital tablets.
We also offer these digital tablets as a way to play games and encourage friendships to flourish between the resident and volunteer.
Reading a book, listening to music or playing a board game are also very rewarding ways to spend time with an elderly person.
Virtual Reality headsets are another method we are trialing through CVS.
Many of our elderly can no longer travel great distances, and VR provides a glimpse of life away from the everyday.
Some volunteers have had their participants riding roller coasters at theme parks and re-visiting their old childhood homes they hadn’t seen in years.
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The benefits of visiting are endless, for both the visitor and the visited.
To further ensure our volunteers are also reaping the rewards of community and companionship, our CVS team hosts a catch-up each month.
This provides our valued visitors the opportunity to debrief and provide feedback, advice, words of encouragement and support for one another, as well as training opportunities for those who would like to use the tablets or VR headsets.
If you’re interested in participating, our CVS staff will be at the Seniors Expo this Tuesday, March 23, at the Bundaberg Multiplex Convention Centre from 9am to 1pm.
Alternatively, phone Heather Hinsbey on 0448 035 891 to discuss your volunteer options.
Staying engaged and mobile are two pivotal keys to growing older happily.
Thanks to IMPACT Community Services’ Community Visitors Scheme, Dawn Fleming gets to do both.
Dawn has been reaping the rewards of IMPACT’s CVS program for about three months now and is very happy with the companionship.
“I enjoy the visits very much,” Dawn said.
Walking is an enjoyable pastime for Dawn, however it presents its own challenges.
“If someone comes along on a skateboard, I don’t know they’re coming, and they’re on top of you before you know it,” she said.
Dawn’s volunteer Tahlia Facer visits her weekly and joins her on walks to the corner shop, watering and pruning the plants in her greenhouse, sitting and talking together or playing Rummikub.
Rummikub is a game where each player draws 14 lettered tiles to form words.
The first word made by each player must have at least 7 characters, then smaller words can be made after that.
“I’m learning new words from Tahlia which is a help,” she said.
And Dawn is not the only one learning a thing or two.
“I had never played the game before, so I get to learn new things from Dawn as well,” Tahlia said.
“I think the game is supposed to be played competitively, with each word accumulating points, but we don’t keep a tally and often help each other make words with the letters we have leftover.
“It really is a nice way to spend an afternoon.”
Find out more about becoming a CVS visitor
Tahlia said the opportunity presented a window of solitude in an often-busy life.
“Visiting Dawn, I get to take an hour for myself while simultaneously giving someone my time; it’s a win-win,” Tahlia said.
Tahlia is fortunate that her employer pays two hours a month towards volunteering.
“All I need to volunteer is two hours of my own time and I get to see Dawn for an hour each week,” she said.
“And it is true what Community Visitors Scheme Program Facilitator Heather says, ‘it’s not a job, it’s a joy’.”
Uncover your superhero within by visiting an elderly person.
Phone IMPACT’s Community Visitors Scheme facilitator Heather Hinsbey today on 4153 4233 or 0448 035 891.
The value of reaching out has assumed a special significance in this age of Covid separation and isolation.
And now that restrictions have been somewhat relaxed, it's the perfect time to forge connections to those who need them most.
IMPACT Community Service runs a Community Visitor's Scheme (CVS) which recruits and organises volunteers to visit elderly people in aged care facilities and also to clients in their own homes who receive a Home Care Package.
These visits provide that all-important regular contact.
CVS Program Facilitator Heather Hinsbey, who volunteers herself, said the program made the world of difference for those involved.
“It's not a job, it's a joy,” Heather said.
“Volunteering brings benefits to both the visitor and the person visited.”
According to Heather, there is not one particular type of person that makes a good volunteer.
She said everyone had something to offer.
“Sometimes all the person needs is someone to play cards or games with or help with letter writing or even listen to music together,” Heather said.
IMPACT’s volunteers are currently taking Samsung tablets out to teach some of the elderly how to Skype or use FaceTime to enable them to keep in touch with their friends or family during Covid. The tablets also can be used for podcasts, audible books or games and other tools to assist residents keep in touch with the latest technology, keep their mind active and prevent them feeling lonely or isolated.
“We encourage people to think about volunteering as it’s one of the easiest and most rewarding ways to share the joy of companionship,” Heather said.
If you would like to make a much-needed connection to those in need, contact Heather at IMPACT's Community Visitor's Scheme on 4153 4233 or 0448 035 891 or go to Volunteer Today | IMPACT Community Services
Please note: This website may contain references to, or feature images, videos, and voices of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples who have passed away.