A dedicated team of volunteers offering comfort and companionship to patients near end-of-life and their families has made more than 10,000 visits to the Norfolk and Norwich University Hospital (NNUH).
The hospital first introduced Butterfly Volunteers in 2019 in collaboration with the Anne Robson Trust, a charity that works to provide support and companionship to people near the end of their life and those closest to them.
A comforting presence
The team offer a comforting presence to patients in the last weeks, days or hours of their lives by talking, reading, or playing music to them. Sometimes they sit with patients who may not have any visitors and let them know they are not alone, or stay with a patient to allow their loved ones to take a break.
They can also provide information for visitors about services available for families of people who are dying and liaise with staff to ensure the needs of patients are met.
An recent increase in the number of Butterfly Volunteers, along with the support of the Chaplaincy, Emergency Department and Palliative Care Teams, means bedside support is now available seven days a week for palliative and end-of-life patients across the hospital.
‘A huge milestone’
Caroline Stevens, End-of-Life Volunteer Project Co-ordinator at the NNUH, said: “Our Butterfly Volunteers achieved a huge milestone in March this year, having completed more than 10,000 visits to patients in the N&N since we launched this service in 2019.
“Providing support and comfort to patients who are in their last days, weeks, or hours of their lives takes particularly compassionate, caring and resilient volunteers.
We have 46 Butterfly Volunteers, with 80 people on the waiting list wishing to join.”
Find out more about the Anne Robson Trust and Butterfly Volunteers here.
