Following the success of the introduction of the Befriending Service, we are pleased to be able to continue offering this service to the whole of the HHFT community, including Winchester, Alton, Basingstoke and Andover and the surrounding areas.
We were initially part of a research project that was evaluating what difference social action volunteer services make to people’s quality of life. (ELSA study led by Lancaster University). Recruitment for this trial has now ended.
- Patient is suffering a life limiting or chronic illness (malignant and non-malignant).
- Patient is lonely and isolated and deemed to be frail.
- Patient has cognitive ability to be able to arrange own appointments independently.
- Patient has cognitive ability to recall previous visits and the Befriender, in order to benefit from the visits.
Our volunteers will visit the patient at their home, once a week for 2 hours. This is for companionship over time to encourage the patient to become more involved in the local community. The volunteers are not there to do household tasks such as shopping, cleaning or personal care.
We will review each patient after 3 months. Ongoing support will be reviewed on a regular basis.
All our volunteers have completed a 2 day training course and are DBS checked.
Patients can be referred to our service by a referral form.
