Volunteer Spotlight: Becoming a Handholder
18th October, 2022
As part of a new blog series telling the stories of our volunteers, we talked to Chris, who recently got started handholding in theatres.
Chris has been volunteering at our Croydon site since autumn 2019, after joining us via Helpforce. After three years greeting, directing and guiding patients, she’s recently taken the leap to train as a handholder for patients having eye surgery.
Most eye operations are carried out under local anaesthetic, which means patients are conscious during the procedure. Understandably, some patients are nervous or in need of extra reassurance. Volunteers like Chris chat to them before their surgeries as well as going into theatre with them to hold their hands, help keep them calm and distract them.
“I started handholding as I wanted to take my volunteering in a slightly different direction and also to do something really connected with the patients,” Chris told us. “I was quite nervous the first time I went into theatre, but the staff really helped to put me at my ease, from the anaesthetic staff to the staff in theatre – really welcoming and pleased to have me there. I am much more relaxed now and enjoying my experience, very much feeling that I am actually being a help to the patients.”
A new report from Helpforce shows the impact this service has, with 95% of patients either agreeing or strongly agreeing that the volunteer’s presence improved their mood during their time at the hospital.
“The experience is more than I expected,” said Chris. “Patients who want me with them are really kind afterwards. The best thing about handholding is seeing the patients’ faces after they have had their operation and receiving their really positive feedback.”