Joe Galea and Mary Rose Scalpello tell Claire Caruana about their experience as volunteers with the Malta Hospice Movement, highlighting the importance of ongoing training even in voluntary work.
Joe Galea and Mary Rose Scalpello have been volunteering at the Malta Hospice Movement for the past five-and-a-half years. After losing their spouses to cancer, they decided to give back to the organisation that helped them come to grips with their situation and got them and their families through the darkest of moments.
While Galea and Scalpello say they are willing to do any job that’s needed at the Malta Hospice Movement, each volunteer is assigned a particular role within the team. Galea mainly takes care of driving duties while Scalpello is involved in crafts, baking and recreational activities.
At the Malta Hospice Movement, a roster system is employed and volunteers are scheduled in depending on their availability. Yet Galea and Scalpello admit they tend to work more and are always ready to step in to help.
“When we’re making hampers to sell during fund raisers, for instance, we spend whole days here. I say to myself, I will only spend the morning here, because I have other things to do at home. I have a family after all. But I always end up spending the whole day here.
“Then, if need be, I stay up late, past 11pm, to get any other things done at home,” Scalpello says.
Both Galea and Scalpello say that while they would drop everything to help, good time management is key and they try and strike a balance between volunteer work and other responsibilities.
“Nowadays, everyone works, but you try and find a balance,” Scalpello says.
Before the pair could start volunteering at the Malta Hospice Movement, they had to go through a period of training. Due to their bereavement, the first step was ensuring they were emotionally prepared to deal with the difficult circumstances that they may face.
“Before we could actually start volunteering, our supervisors had to ensure that we were ready and that we had started healing from our own ordeals. Once they saw we were ready, we could move on to the next phase,” Scalpello explains.
During this phase Galea and Scalpello received training by medical personnel.
“The initial training took around four months. We attended courses delivered by nurses and doctors who gave us all the necessary information. They gave us handouts and other material to make sure we understood what they were saying. Because of the nature of our work, it was important that everything was clear from the start,” Galea says.
Before we could actually start volunteering, our supervisors had to ensure that we were ready and that we had started healing from our own ordeals
This training equips volunteers with the skills needed to help with patient care, mainly safety skills.
As their roles involve working with patients who have different needs, Galea and Scalpello say that ongoing training is crucial. They believe that refresher sessions are not only important to ensure they follow certain standard procedures but it also helps make them feel at ease knowing that they can help patients to the best of their abilities.
“Continuous training ensures that we have the necessary skills,” Scalpello says.
“In fact, we have a number of training sessions coming up soon,” Galea adds.
Scalpello and Galea receive different forms of training, from sessions by doctors and nurses to hands on sessions. During such sessions, specific training is given, depending on the role of the volunteer and the responsibilities that this carries.
“Since my role mainly involves driving, training on how to properly transport patients is very important, as is safety training,” Galea says.
While these sessions give them the necessary skills they need, the experience they have gained in the past five-and-a-half years is invaluable.
Scalpello says she finds herself helping others more willingly as this seems to come more naturally now.
“I’ve also become more aware of which things are worth worrying about and which are not. Sometimes the little things can take over and seem like a big deal when in actual fact, when compared to what we see here on a daily basis, they’re insignificant.”
“I’ve gained so many values I can’t list them all but mainly I’ve become much more respectful towards those who are going throught a difficult period,” Galea agrees.
Their job is made easier as, upon joining the volunteering team, it is instilled in them to try and avoid conflict as much as possible. The pair also point out good teamwork is crucial as is professionalism.
“You come to love the people you help because you’re together every day. However, you have to have a limit,” Scalpello says. “You cannot get involved with the family or ask about medical conditions. You need to try and keep things professional. It was one of the very first things we were taught.”