Community Visitor
The Community Visitors Scheme links volunteer visitors to residents of Residential Aged Care
Facilities on a one-to-one basis. The Community Visitors Scheme is funded by The Commonwealth
Department of Health and Ageing and operates in Commonwealth funded aged care homes.
Melbourne City Mission’s Community Visitors Scheme cover much of the Inner City, North
and North Western suburbs of Melbourne, and supports approximately 150 volunteer visitors
who visit across 80 or so residential aged care facilities. Community Visitors are matched to a
compatible resident after receiving an orientation to the role and responsibilities of a
Community Visitor and discussing details about a suitable visiting arrangement; including suitable
suburbs and the type of person they would be comfortable visiting.
PRIMARY ROLE
The primary role of Community Visitors is to provide friendship and companionship.
- Community Visitors do not have an advocacy role and as such do not monitor the standards provided at the residential aged care facility they visit, nor do they become involved in investigating or following up complaints.
- Community visitors are not permitted to provide nursing or personal care to the resident, do not become involved in the resident’s financial affairs, and have no access to the resident’s care or personal records.
- Community Visitors are not utilised as general volunteers or activity volunteers in the residential aged care home and take care to not displace relationships between the resident and their family, staff and other relationships.
KEY TASKS OF COMMUNITY VISITORS
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Visit a designated resident on a regular basis (at least once a fortnight) for the purposes of friendship and companionship.
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Provide a record of the dates of visits to the Coordinator and sign the visiting book at the aged care home.
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Respect the rights of residents including confidentiality and privacy.
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Exercise a duty of care at all times. (Community Visitors duty of care is using
commonsense and exercising reasonable caution in any activities undertaken
with the resident.)
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Inform the Coordinator if they are experiencing any difficulties with visiting.
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Notify the Coordinator of any accident or incident that occurs whilst they are visiting.
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Notify the Coordinator if they intend to cease visiting on a temporary or permanent basis.
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Inform the Coordinator if they wish to stop visiting a particular resident.
The Community Visitors Scheme specifically aims to match one volunteer with one resident.
As such, Community Visitors agree to not visit other residents without the approval of the
Community Visitors Scheme Coordinator. (Approval would only be given in circumstances where
doing so would not diminish the quality of the relationships with the residents concerned,
for example where the volunteer was able to visit at two different aged care homes.)
KEY SELECTION CRITERIA
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A commitment to building a friendship with an older person
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Maturity and reliability
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Empathy and understanding of older people
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Effective communication and listening skills
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Ability to visit independently
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Ability to seek advice as appropriate.
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A satisfactory Police check has been conducted
ACCOUNTABILITY
Community Visitors are accountable to the Community Visitors Scheme Coordinator.
The Coordinator maintains phone/email contact with Community Visitors. This is regular in the early stages and about three monthly, once the visiting relationship is well established.
As mentioned above, Community Visitors are required to complete a brief report of their visits and to sign the visitors book at the home. These are mandatory requirements, as on‑going funding of the scheme is dependent on the CVS Coordinator being able to verify that visits are occuring.
