enrichment opportunities
Palliative Care Volunteer Programs
The foundation has provided funding to Barwon Health Palliative Care Volunteer Services to support volunteers to implement and deliver various palliative care programs across the Greater Geelong area, including:
- Life Stories Program
A program where volunteers compile and transcribe the life stories of palliative care patients, which are presented to families as a permanent record of reflection, events and memories.
- Backyard Blitz Program
Since its launch in 2017, this project has assisted over 100 palliative care patients and carers with their gardens.
- Have A Go Program
An initiative that encourages patients to pursue unique experiences beyond clinical goals, such as learning new skills and interests and attending events.
In June 2020, HFG contributed an additional $14,000 to the Barwon Health Palliative Care Volunteer Services’ ‘Have a Go Program’.
Since the beginning of COVID-19, the program has adapted incredibly successfully in difficult times. Face-to-face options have been transitioned to virtual options, and artists have been commissioned to do work with patients remotely.
An artist was commissioned to do a painting of a patient’s house as the patient had recently relocated to residential aged care. She used an image from Google Street View and painted a personalised version. According to the CPC nurse upon referral, the patient immediately created a space on her wall where she could see it from her bed and chair. Once it arrived it was immediately hung up in that special location and allowed her to reflect on life in her beloved home.