Patient Care Volunteer

Patient care volunteer placements are a fantastic way for non-qualified medical volunteers to add a great deal of value and support while gaining first-hand hospital and clinical experience. Patient care placements do not require volunteers to have any formal medical background or training.

The reason that patient care placements offer so much value is that in many countries, it is the friends and families of patients who must provide the day to day care for long term patients. However, given the expense of having someone in a medical facility, family members often have to work to cover the bills and cannot provide the basic personal care needed for their loved ones.

The kinds of tasks that patient care volunteers can assist with vary with the volunteer's experience but generally include washing patients, changing bedding, helping with meals, providing assistance to the staff with general tasks on the ward and interacting with the patients to make their stay more comfortable and dignified.