Community members can lend a hand to patients at TCHC

Susan Marco

Tri-County Health Care

The holidays are fast approaching, and I’m making a list and checking it twice. I’ve started my Christmas shopping early, I’m eyeing turkeys at the grocery store and I’ve got the snow blower oiled and ready for action. 

I’ve added another item to the list this year, a very important thing that has never been more needed from our community. I’m talking about volunteers, specifically healthcare volunteers. I need them, we need them, and most of all, our patients need them.

I’ve been reminiscing a lot lately, and I realized I have so many great memories with our volunteers. I brought up the holidays because this time of year makes me think of selfless acts of good. One that stands out involves a memory care unit I worked at. 

Every Christmas, volunteers would read the Bible and the Christmas story. For the patients, this was a real treat and for those with memory loss, this tapped into a memory from childhood. It was a cherished time that showed me that no one is truly forgotten in our world as long as there are kind people.

Volunteers are essential in healthcare, especially in rural areas. I recently looked at all the volunteers that have helped our organization over almost 100 years. I feel so grateful to work for an organization that is so connected to our communities.  

With the building of the new hospital, we need volunteers of all ages and backgrounds. We want to partner with young people, moms and dads, grandparents, and retirees. We need “way-finders” at the new hospital to help guide patients to different areas of the hospital and clinic.  

We also need people to help with scavenger hunts that will help familiarize staff  with the different departments and areas of the building. In addition, we need “mock patients” to help us with training and emergency drills. 

I know people are busy during this wonderful time of year. If you find yourself with a little downtime, maybe even an hour or two, you can make a real difference in our community. 

Exciting things are happening, and we would love to see more volunteers be a part of this new adventure of becoming Astera Health.