This year we have over 30 Sixth Form students who have signed up for the Kissing it Better volunteer programme. The students spend Wednesday afternoons visiting the elderly at Warwick Hospital or in school preparing resources for display in the wards or activities to take into hospital (e.g. crosswords, word searches). All of the students have been trained as ‘Dementia Friends’ (a training initiative run by the Alzheimer’s Society).
Here’s what some of our students say about why they joined the programme and their experience so far:
“Having a family member with memory loss, I know how a little conversation can change a day for an elderly person.”
“I would like to be a social worker in the future, I felt this would give me valuable experience and be a good thing to do to help others.”
“I felt it would be a nice thing to visit people who may not have any visitors.”
“It’s beneficial to the community.”
“There are more people affected by dementia than you think. We should support them more and more awareness is needed in society.”
“Going into hospital taught me the importance of patience and kindness with those in the wards.”
“It was clear that a simple conversation with a patient can make their day.”
“The patients are always grateful for any gifts.”
Well done and thank you to all of the students who volunteer for this charity. It has been great to see your confidence grow as you develop your communication and interpersonal skills with both patients and staff, whilst giving so much back to the community.
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