Time working in aged care motivated Lyndie Mitchell to volunteer as a Compassionate Companion at The Wesley Hospital, so she could support patients who did not have family nearby.

Lyndie had never volunteered before contacting Leanne Duncan, the supervisor of the Compassionate Companion program, in September 2023.

The program provides social connection and support to patients who may be far from home, away from support networks, living with dementia, experiencing a long hospital stay or approaching the final stages of their life.

Lyndie’s prior experience working in aged care was a motivator: “The thing that got me involved was that there were people needing aged care whose families weren’t necessarily in the same area. There’s a real gap there and there’s so many people in our community who don’t get visitors.”

Taking on a role in the Vulnerable Impact Team at The Wesley Hospital as a Compassionate Companion, Lyndie started assisting a patient, Vicky, (pictured on the left with Lyndie), who attends dialysis each week.

This dialysis can take up to four hours, so Lyndie spends time keeping Vicky occupied and “in her happy place”.

The Dialysis Unit Manager, David Rodrigues, can see the soothing effect of Lyndie’s presence.

“Before she met Lyndie, Vicky would get distressed, pull her catheter out, and cry and cry,” David said. “As our staff are often busy attending to other patients having dialysis, it can be a difficult scenario.”

While Vicky has her treatment, she and Lyndie do a variety of activities, such as painting their nails, beading and making friendship bracelets, watching movies or discussing Vicky’s main interests – rainbows, unicorns and One Direction.

Lyndie supports these interests by printing out pages to colour in, and bringing stickers and different coloured nail polishes. Vicky also loves to have her photo taken, so Lyndie has created a memory book that Vicky loves flicking through.

When Lyndie arrives at the hospital each week, the nurses often tell her Vicky has been asking for her. “When I hear that, I know I’m doing something right,” Lyndie smiles.

Lyndie also appreciates that being a volunteer has given her a lot, too.

“Volunteering has done me the world of good,” she admitted. “I was looking for a way to make a difference.”

She admitted that going into a hospital environment and seeing what people have to deal with when undergoing treatment had been eye opening.

“I can’t believe Vicky goes through so much every week, and she doesn’t have the security of family around her. When I arrive and see her face light up, and she says, ‘I’m so glad you’re here’, it feels good to know I’m helping her.”

If you would like to volunteer and change lives, yours included, sign up to volunteer here. The Wesley Hospital is proudly part of UnitingCare – you can read more amazing volunteer stories in UnitingCare’s 2024 Volunteer Impact Report.