Help patients get back into their stride (From St Helens Star)

Help patients get back into their stride with British Red Cross in St Helens

8:00am Friday 8th February 2013 in News

IF you get a buzz from helping others – why not volunteer with a scheme to get people back into their everyday life after a hospital stay?

This innovative service from British Red Cross in St Helens offers a range of help to individuals aged 55 or over at the time of personal crisis.

The volunteers will provide short-term help and support to people to live as independently as possible in their home after a change of circumstance, illness or hospital stay.

People are referred to the service through health professionals, social workers and can other support workers.

Volunteers can help to rebuild confidence, collect prescriptions, help with shopping and offer companionship.

People interested in volunteering for this service in St Helens will gain valuable experience by working to smooth the process of settling back into a normal routine and enabling people to regain their confidence and independence by signposting them to neighbourhood networks where appropriate.

The service also aims to prevent unnecessary hospital admissions and re-admissions.

Alison Foy, service coordinator says: “Volunteers are the lifeblood of the British Red Cross. They save and change lives, and without them we would not be able to deliver our services, which help hundreds of thousands of people in crisis every year.

“Anyone can volunteer. It doesn’t matter what your skills, experience or background are. If you can commit to two to four hours a week and want to make a difference we would be delighted to hear from you.”

If you would like to learn more about volunteering opportunities or become a volunteer, call 01925 295616 or e-mail afoy@redcross.org.uk.