My first experiences
Soon after I retired from work I was asked about becoming a volunteer for
Redbridge
Voluntary Care but it was only recently that I took the plunge and
signed up to be
a driver, although as it has turned out, a lot of my duties so far
seem to involve
travelling in ambulances or taxis. On one such occasion I was
asked to accompany
an elderly gentleman from a sheltered housing home to
Queen's Hospital for his clinic
appointment. There was a long wait at the home
before the ambulance arrived to take
us to the hospital, then after another
long wait in the clinic I wheeled the chap
into the room to see the consultant
and was out within a minute! Next stop was the
transport area awaiting an
ambulance back. However,whilst I was there I got a call
from the Sheltered
Housing Home to say the gentlemen had another appointment at Goodmayes
Hospital for a blood test within next 2 hours so was thankful the transport
soon
arrived.
On arriving back at the home, I had to bundle(?) the gentleman into my car
for his
next appointment which I thought would be straight forward -
wrong I was! Not
having been to Goodmayes Hospital for years, I wasn
where the appointment
was and so got out of the car and asked someone
inside the main building where the
blood test clinic was, only to be told it was
not here but try KGH. However, I was
so relieved when on getting back in the
car the gentlemen who didn't say much, showed
me his appointment card
Which had the name of the building on it and I was able to
find the place with
just 15 minutes to spare!
I am also getting to know Whipps Cross Hospital with departments and
clinics spread
all over the place and the very long corridor in the main building
which is excellent
for practising your portering skills I You do also need a map
to find your way around
and to ensure you. are parked in the right car park! I
do also now know where the
fracture clinic, x-
situated. My portering & carer skills
are certainly improving all the timel
I think I am getting used to the voluntary care duties and must be doing
something
right as I now have some regular 'clients' who ask for me each time
they have an
appointment -
Graham,
•• ,....
Redbridge Voluntary Care