Volunteer support

Volunteers in our Emergency Departments offer social support to patients and their family members in an often difficult environment. This is achieved by simply 'being there' to talk and listen, or by offering refreshments and reading materials.

The Guide Service plays an important role in helping visitors and patients orientate themselves and find their way around the hospital. Our volunteer guides are based in the main entrance concourse area on level 3 (ground floor) of the RAH, at our information centre, by lifts and can also be found on selected floors throughout the hospital.

Inpatient volunteers work across a variety of different inpatient units and provide support to patients who are in hospital receiving treatment. Support ranges from laundry services, facilitating shopping requests to sitting and talking with patients, relatives and friends.

The Intensive Care Unit (ICU) provides care to patients with severe and life-threatening illnesses and injuries, which require constant, close monitoring and support from specialist equipment and medications. ICU volunteers work closely with medical staff to ensure a sensitive and discreet support service for patients and visitors within the unit.

RAH volunteers offer a limited laundry service to patients who have no one to assist them with laundering their clothes, and provides a laundry service to the hospital for the laundering of non-sterile items as requested.

Outpatient volunteers provide support to patients who are visiting hospital for an examination or day treatment. A major responsibility of the outpatient volunteers is to help guide patients to the outpatient departments throughout the hospital.

Volunteers in the SA.RAH’s Gift Shop at the RAH will provide high-level frontline customer service to patients, staff and visitors. The SA.RAH’s Gift Shop sells gift and craft items and takes orders for linen packs for visitors staying overnight with their loved one.

The role of the Wellness Centre is to deliver consumer-focused, evidence-based health promotion programs, and improve access to reliable health information for patients, staff and the community.

The Wellness Centre works collaboratively with other health sites, departments and outside organisations to support community members in improving their health.

RAH volunteers provide a sensitive and caring service to patients undergoing treatment where temporary loss of hair is experienced. They also produce turbans, scarves and knitted caps.