I ask for your support to publish the Community Visitors Scheme to help recruit interested bilingual volunteers who can visit elderly people in residential aged care homes (i.e. nursing homes and hostels) in Sydney metropolitan area.
The Community Visitors Scheme is a Federal Government initiative. It aims at matching special friends, on a one-to-one basis, for the isolated residents from a culturally and linguistically diverse background in residential aged care facilities. It is expected that the volunteer visitors can help to improve the quality of life of elderly people, maintain their independence, enhance their social contacts and minimize their isolation from the general community.
Community visitors are expected to pay regular visits (once a fortnight) to isolated elderly residents living in residential aged care facilities. The volunteers needed are those who can speak English and Filipino.
Currently there is a number of Filipino-speaking men and women residing in facilities in Banksia, Burwood, Chatswood and Lilyfield who have very limited social contact and requires friendly visits from people coming from a similar cultural background who speak the same language. The English proficiency of many is extremely limited. It would be of great benefit to the residents if someone from your community is willing to visit them regularly.
Orientation and on-going support (e.g. training, meetings and newsletters) will be available to the visitor. Travelling expenses will be reimbursed. A small yearly budget will be allocated to the visitor to purchase gift(s) for the resident being visited.
Since your paper is the most community conscious and effective media to reach the Filipino speaking population in Sydney, we do wish you could spare some of your precious time to help. The well-being of the residents depends on the voluntary effort from the community and the media.
Interested parties may contact me on (02) 9515-9871. Email address: valerie.chu@sswahs.nsw.gov.au or Jeannie Tam on (02) 9515-9872. Email address: jeannie.tam@sswahs.nsw.gov.au
Please do not hesitate to call me if you need more information. I am looking forward to receiving telephone calls from your readers. Thank you for your kind assistance.
Valerie Chu (Coordinator)
Community Visitors Scheme, Level 7, King George V Building
RPAH, Missenden Road, Camperdown NSW 2050