Feature
OMNI homes salute volunteers to show appreciation
Volunteers ‘are like gold to us’
Tuesday May 6, 2008
OMNI’s 17 long-term care homes were busy recently paying tribute to the volunteers who help provide residents with quality of life.
Volunteers play an important role in any long-term care home. Without volunteers, OMNI long-term care homes wouldn’t be able to provide the same quality of care that they give to each resident.
Throughout the year, volunteers can be counted on to help with resident outings, one-to-one programming and help with activities. The work volunteers do not only helps residents, it also frees up time for frontline staff members who are then able to tend to those residents needing the most care.
April 27 to May 3 was National Volunteer Week in Canada. As with every year, OMNI’s 17 long-term care homes celebrated the week by hosting luncheons, dinners, activities and award ceremonies to celebrate volunteers for their efforts.
Long-term care homes are busy environments. Quite often those individuals who selflessly give their time to help residents and staff members are not given the acknowledgement they deserve. But for one week each year, OMNI homes salute those volunteers with seven days of recognition.
Although volunteers’ work is appreciated throughout the year, holding special events to honour their spirit of giving is important because a long-term care home without volunteers wouldn’t be a long-term care home, says Vi O’Leary, life enrichment co-ordinator at Frost Manor in Lindsay.
O’Leary, who was at a luncheon honouring volunteers from Lindsay-area homes on April 28, says acknowledging National Volunteer Week is important for long-term care homes.
“It shows your appreciation for the difference these people make in the residents’ lives,” says O’Leary. “They are like gold to us. . . . There are lots of things we couldn’t do if we didn’t have volunteers.”
Anyone interested in a volunteering opportunity at an OMNI long-term care home can call (705) 748-6631 for more information.
