Sign up for the battlefordsNOW newsletter

Volunteering with the Health Region

May 12, 2016 | 10:26 AM

Volunteers for Meals on Wheels is a current Need.

Prairie North Health Region recognizes volunteers as an integral part of the healthcare team, and encourages teamwork between salaried staff and volunteers.

Volunteers enhance service delivery and are an important link between clients and community. Volunteers provide encouragement, support and assistance to people dealing with illness, change and aging. Volunteers contribute their unique talents, skills and knowledge to provide personalized attention to clients, leading to enhanced quality of life.

Our Volunteer and Spiritual Services Program provide support through:

Orientation & Training
Registration of Contributions
Inservices
Newsletters
Appreciation Event
Letters of Reference & Support
Approximately 3,900 volunteers participate in 30 facilities/programs and 15 auxiliaries in Prairie North Health Region. Many volunteers in rural and urban centers are involved in more than one program, serving facility-based and community-based programs. Each facility is unique and attracts volunteers interested in that sites’s particular range of programming.

PNHR’s Regional Manager of Volunteer and Spiritual Services is located in The Battlefords. Volunteer coordinators are situated with Battlefords Home Care and in Lloydminster and Meadow Lake. Volunteer management consists of program planning, recruitment, orientation, ongoing training, evaluation and appreciation. The program promotes staff/volunteer relationships, awareness of volunteerism, and awareness of the broad scope of volunteer opportunities.

Recruitment, volunteer placement and appreciation at several PNHR facilities and programs are under the direction of designated operational staff, often recreational and nursing. The volunteer manager and coordinators provide support for staff working with volunteers, through:

Regional Policies and Procedures
Risk Management Program
Resource Sharing
Program Development
Appreciation Events
Newsletter, Media and Promotions
Volunteers are active:

as Individuals – through visitation, Meals On Wheels, palliative care, greeter, and clinic volunteers
through Groups – as entertainers, schools, service orghanizations, corporate and business volunteers
in Auxiliaries
as Ministerial and Spiritual Service Laity
Auxiliaries

Auxiliaries are partners with volunteer service programs, Foundations and other Auxiliaries. Members fundraise for patient comfort items and contribute thousands of dollars towards items not met by other budgetary means. Auxiliaries contribute to recreation programming, decorating and furnishing of family rooms, and purchasing of specialized equipment. Auxiliaries recognize and support quality of life activities for clients and their families, through family functions and community events.

Spiritual Services

Prairie North Health Region believes that attention to a person’s spirituality has a significant impact on his/her physical, emotional, mental and social well-being. The Region focuses on client-centred care which embraces the physical, emotional, social and spiritual needs. PNHR also believes that all clients, relatives, significant others, volunteers and staff have the right to access spiritual care, counseling and support.

Ministerial and Faith Community volunteers assist in:

Chaplain On-Call Program
as Volunteer Chaplains
Memorial Worship Services
Seasonal Celebrations
Bible Studies, Visitation Programs and Cultural Gatherings
Regular Sunday Services
Chaplaincy Committee
The Manager of Volunteer & Spiritual Services is an associate member of the Battlefords Ministerial Association and chairperson the Saskatchewan Hospital Chaplaincy Committee. The Coordinators of Volunteer Services in Meadow Lake and Lloydminster are chairpersons of Chaplaincy Committees in those areas. Programs and services are coordinated and managed to support clients, their families, volunteers, and faith community leaders.

This ensures:

Coordination of facility, memorial services, emergent services, resource and contact lists
Continuum of service delivery to clients through referral for spiritual services
Registration and orientation of visiting Faith Leaders/Ministerial & Laity
Ongoing training, support and recognition programs
Coordination of Palliative Care Volunteer & Spiritual Services Programs
Ministerial involvement as an advisory resource to examine concerns, recommend policies and procedures, and provide networking among groups which have an interest in, or impact on, spiritual services
THE VOLUNTEER EXPERIENCE

Student & Adult Unit Assistant Volunteers
Clinic & Greeter Volunteers
Palliative Care Volunteers
Mentoring and Visitation Programs
Meals On Wheels
Special Interest Groups (arts, crafts, music)
Working one-on-one with clients in our Education Centres, Vocational Programs, Industrial Therapy and Group Homes
Spiritual Service Laity Volunteers
Public Awareness and Health Promotion
Fundraising; selling tickets, working auxiliary bingos, foundation events, donations of crafts and baking
Entertaining/sharing special interests
Supporting family functions and special events
Committee, Auxiliary or Board work
VOLUNTEER PERSONAL DEVELOPMENT OPPORTUNITIES

Orientation & Ongoing Training through inservices and workshops
Registration of your volunteer hours and contributions
Area-wide and facility/program based Appreciation Events
Communications through Newsletters, Meetings, & Media
Insights and Skill Development
Involvement with an Evaluation and Continuous Quality Improvement Program
THE BENEFITS OF VOLUNTEERING

Learn new skills and share interests
Increase your well-being with community involvement and socialization
Develop new interests and friends
Gain insight into careers in a health care setting
References and support for employment
References for scholarships, education programs and careers
Access workshops, resources materials and health promotion activities
YOUR TIME IS VALUABLE AND WE APPRECIATE THAT!

We will help you choose the activities which are right for you. You can be involved in your own home, in our health care facilities, or in a community setting. You can choose the time of day, the time of year, and the projects that are best for your commitment.

For more information contact;

Darlene Kingwell, CAVR
Manager of Volunteer & Spiritual Services
Regional Office – Room #315E
Battlefords Union Hospital
1092 – 107 Street
North Battleford, SK S9A 1Z1
Phone: 306- 446-6892
Fax: 306-446-6819
Email: darlene.kingwell@pnrha.ca

Denise Schmidt
Coordinator of Volunteer Services – Battlefords Home Care
Fourth Floor, Battlefords Union Hospital
1092 – 107 Street
North Battleford, SK S9A 1Z1
Phone: 306-446-7388
Fax: 306-445-5917
Email: denise.schmidt@pnrha.ca

Michelle Willick
Coordinator of Volunteer Services – Meadow Lake
Northwest Health Facility
#1 – 711 Centre Street