The NSS Community Visitors Scheme (CVS) provides socially isolated residents of aged care facilities in the Newcastle and the Lower Hunter, who are from Culturally & Linguistically Diverse Backgrounds (CALD), a better quality of life through one-to-one volunteer visits. The principal benefit of the scheme is that visitors play an integral role in easing the social & cultural isolation experienced by many residents living in facilities, who may not have family living close by and whose extended support networks were left behind when they migrated to Australia.
CVS is funded by the Commonwealth Department of Health & Ageing.
I am always seeking new volunteers to join this program. The main volunteer requirements are:
- ability to communicate with / encourage an older person in a compassionate & caring manner;
- long-term commitment (at least 6 months) and ability to attend/visit on a regular basis (at least once per fortnight);
- access to your own transport is an advantage;
- speaking a language other than English is an advantage (languages needed recently include: Dutch, Italian, Ukrainian, Polish, Filipino, Chinese, Macedonian, Greek, and others).
Please contact me if you are interested in becoming a CVS volunteer. Thank you.
Irene Lupish
CVS Co-ordinator
Phone: 02 4969 3399
Email: cvs@nsservices.com.au
