When Peter Jones walks through the wards at Princess Alexandra Hospital each week, he isn't just visiting patients - he is helping people feel seen, supported and less alone during some of their most difficult moments.
As part of National Volunteer Week, Peter has been recognised with an award for his dedication and ownership of the PA Hospital patient visiting program.
The recognition comes just two years after Peter first came to PA Hospital as a patient himself.
After surviving an out-of-hospital cardiac arrest and spending three weeks in hospital, Peter said the compassion shown to him by staff inspired him to give back.
“The support and empathy I received from all the hospital staff looking after me was second to none,” Peter said.
“When I recovered, I wanted to give something back to the hospital.
“Having been through some very challenging times, I wanted to see if I could support others in some way who have gone through similar experiences.”
Every Monday and Thursday morning, Peter begins his volunteer shift delivering donated fresh fruit to campus services before turning his focus to patient visits across the hospital.
Working from a patient visiting list prepared by PA hospital social workers, Peter visits patients who may need extra social support during their hospital stay, often spending time with individuals across multiple wards including the Geriatric and Rehabilitation Unit (GARU).
He also makes time for patients who are not formally part of the program but who appear to need company or conversation.
PA Research Foundation Volunteer Manager Zach Sandford said Peter had become an integral part of the patient visiting program.
“Peter has really taken ownership of the program and built strong relationships with many long-term patients across the hospital,” Zach said.
“We receive consistently positive feedback about the patient visiting program and the difference volunteers like Peter make to patients.”
Peter said volunteering had also brought purpose and connection back into his own life.
“Not being able to work full time left a big void in my life,” he said.
“I get so much happiness and joy knowing that myself and the other volunteers can make a real difference in someone’s life.
“The PA Foundation are a great bunch of people and we have a great group of volunteers that are more like friends.
“You will get so much more than you think out of volunteering. Helping others for the right reasons is the most satisfying thing anyone can do.”
PA Hospital’s volunteers support patients and staff in many ways across the hospital, from patient visiting and fundraising to administration support and assisting clinical teams with preparation tasks.
The patient visiting program alone supports around 18 patients per visit, equating to approximately 1,728 visits each year.
Anyone interested in volunteering at PA Hospital can contact the PA Research Foundation volunteer team via volunteers@pafoundation.org.au or visit the office in the PA Hospital main foyer.
Story courtesy of Metro South Health.
