Meal Assistance Volunteers

Three square helpings of community spirit every day

You know it’s 4:30 at Haliburton Place, the long-term care wing at the Hants Community Hospital in Windsor, when you hear, “where are my volunteers?”

The food trays have arrived and so have members of the community to take time out of their busy day to sit with residents and provide meal assistance to those who cannot feed themselves. It’s a scene that is repeated across Nova Scotia Health Authority (NSHA) three times a day, seven days a week.

Bonnie Haywood and Shanda Smith are two of the familiar faces at mealtimes at Hants. Bonnie is a retired teacher and began helping out after spending time visiting her mother who was in long-term care at the end of her life.

“I never thought I had the kind of personality to do this, but I’m as surprised as anyone at how much I enjoy it,” said Bonnie, who travels to Windsor from her rural home several times a week. “No matter what mood I am in when I arrive, I always leave with a smile on my face. I do so little, but it seems to help so much.”

Shanda Smith agrees. At age 18 she already has two years of experience under her belt. When she was in Grade 10, she began volunteering to see if she would enjoy a career in nursing. Now, even though she has part-time work at a long-term care facility nearby, she still comes in a few days each week after school to volunteer at mealtimes with residents.

“You can just see on their faces that by spending this little bit of time with them you’ve made their life better,” said Shanda with a big smile. “It’s only two hours a week and that’s such a tiny amount of time when it means so much.”

“The meal assistance volunteers are a great help and support to nurses and all the staff,” said Lil David, Ward Aide on Jubilee West at the Veterans Memorial Building. “It’s so wonderful to have an extra set of hands and the residents just light up when they see the volunteers!”

Without the volunteers to help, residents needing assistance have to wait to get their meals until a staff member is free. With volunteers, they can all sit and eat together in the lunch room and socialize. Volunteers also can spend extra time with those who need it, leaving the staff free to attend to any urgent patient care needs.

“I don’t mind helping with residents who need a little more one-on-one time,” said Atul Sabharwal, who comes in four or five times each week to spend time with veterans. His regular client is a patient with dementia, who is very particular about who helps him with his meals. Atul’s confident, matter-of-fact demeanor seems to calm the patient.

“If a nurse or a ward aide can help a resident that only takes a few minutes, then they can move on to do other things. I just take my time, talk quietly with him and make sure I show him what I am doing at all times. I know this meal was specially prepared and as long as he takes every single bite, he will get all the nutrition he needs.”
Atul is one of many volunteers who also help with special dinners for the veterans. Several times a year, veterans enjoy lobster, fish chowder, pot roasts or turkey dinners. The meals are festive affairs, held in the cafeteria at the Veterans Memorial Building.

“Meal times are when people are used to being social,” said Lil, who has been working with residents for 39 years. “It breaks up the day and I have seen many special relationships develop this way.”

Back at Hants, there’s an added bonus in between meal times. Volunteers come in every day mid-afternoon and take a snack cart around. Coffee, tea, juice and healthy snacks are all available.

“I can be totally stressed out from school, but when I get here I just love the interaction with residents,” said Mark Hanes, as he pushed the cart. “Everyone is so friendly and so happy to see us it really makes my day!”