Volunteers make a difference

“To me it was important that someone was there with them, not only during the end of life, but through the whole process,” she said.

There are only eight nurses at GV Hospice, who rely heavily on the support of volunteers like Ms Matejic to ensure that patients receive the best palliative care possible — not just physical care, but mental and emotional too.

GV Hospice volunteers can help patients with things that may seem trivial to most people but mean the world to those in their care.

“It's not just staying at home with (the patients) — we can take them out for coffees, we can take them shopping, we can do a lot of range of things,” Ms Matejic said.

In her volunteering role, Ms Matejic has the opportunity to make sure patients have the best quality of life that they can.

“I had a patient a few years ago, she didn't go out to the shops because her mobility was not very good,” she said.

“And I shared her with another volunteer and the other volunteer loved shopping. So, she did the shopping bit and I caught up with them for coffee.

“This patient, once she started going out again, she thought that it was Christmas, going to the shops and buying new clothes.

“She just loved it, it was another lease on life ... something that we were able to bring out and encourage her to do.”

Ms Matejic said it was rewarding to give back by being there for these senior citizens who dedicated their lives to their communities and families.

“A lot of people who have got disabilities and these diseases, they can sort of feel like no-one wants to know them,” she said.

“And to come in on a regular basis, that makes them feel ‘normal’, holding a conversation, communicating ... that's a big privilege.”