Did you know that at Sisters Hospitallers we have around 11.000 volunteers?
We would like to introduce you to Maria da Graça Fernandes who has been a volunteer with us for 21 years now. She is currently working in the psychiatry unit. During the week, she is with the patients for about two hours. She socialises, talks, listens, and also provides an atmosphere of well-being and health.
How do you describe your daily routine and what impact it in the patients?
I only volunteer once a week. On that day I spend about three hours with the patients. Whenever time permits, I encourage the patients to go for a walk in the open air (sometimes a difficult task!); I talk to them about the topics of their choice and make myself available to listen to them. I help with meals (lunch or snacks). Obligatory task: “painting my nails”. I believe that the little I give of myself allows patients to forget for a moment that they are patients.
What inspired you to become a volunteer and to dedicate more than two decades of your life to this noble work at Sisters Hospitallers?
I knew that I wanted to be a volunteer one day, but I just didn´t know where. I got to know the institution through the hospitalisation of one member of my family. I identified myself with the mission, principles, and values of hospitality and I decided: this is it! I have been a volunteer at this clinic since December of 2001.
What are the most rewarding or touching moments you have experienced when working with patients in the Psychiatric Unit?
However, the warmth with which patients greet me, ask me “Why didn’t you come last week?” or say “We missed you! Are you and your family well? Have a good trip!” is extremely gratifying. Such simple words or gestures, but said and shown in such a loving and caring way, make me think that I give so little and receive so much!
After so many years of service, how have you seen the social perception towards mental health and the role of volunteers in this change evolve?
Stigma and discrimination against mental health still exist, and I think that fear of the unknown may be one of the reasons. However, I have seen that nowadays mental health is approached in a less discriminatory way. My professional experience allows me to see that reality. When people say: “Maybe you should seek help from a psychologist”, the reaction is different from a few years ago, when the answer was: “I’m not crazy!
Volunteering can help, as it allows patients to communicate with people with very different personal and professional life experiences. In my opinion, this communication helps patients to foster their well-being, self-esteem and self-confidence.
As a volunteer in the Psychiatry Unit, how do you approach creating an environment of wellbeing and health for patients?
Intervention in mental health promotion requires assertiveness, clarity and positivity, which has not been very easy. However, I have tried to offer patients, through silence, gestures or words, the conditions to manage their illness, improve their quality of life and feel as integrated as possible.
What advice would you give to those who are considering joining volunteering health and social care field, especially in the field of mental health?
Working in mental health is not for everyone. In my opinion, those who would like to work in mental health should pay attention to their communicative skills, their sensitivity and their capacity to work with others.
What is the role of volunteers in supporting the Sisters Hospitaller’s mission of providing comprehensive care to the most vulnerable people?
The role of the volunteer is important because it reinforces the Hospitaller Sisters’ mission when free of charge, they care for those who suffer most when they welcome, listen, respect, and commit themselves to ensure that the people they help have a better quality of life, both physically and psychologically.
This month is World Volunteer Day, how would you describe the importance of volunteering in the field of mental health and in the context of the mission of the Sisters Hospitallers?
There are still some stigmas about mental health and I think the work of the volunteers at Sisters Hospitallers is very important in helping to demystify these prejudices when partnerships are established with local authorities, schools, and other organisations to develop the abilities and competencies of the patients.
