Volunteer caregivers help at VA hospital

LINDA DWYER, right, from El Dorado, offers retired Air Force and Navy veteran Frank Noble a quilt to make his stay at the Sacramento VA Medical Center in Rancho Cordova a little more comfortable. Dwyer visits the hospital every Thursday as part of a volunteer program for hospitalized veterans. Democrat photo by Pat Dollins

By Dawn Hodson
From page A1 | Leave Comment

Making her way down the hallway at the Sacramento VA Medical Center, Linda Dwyer smiles as she pushed a cart filled with comfort items for patients.

A familiar face, the El Dorado woman has been making it a practice to visit surgical patients at the VA hospital once a week for the past five years.

She said she decided to volunteer after her son made it safely back from a tour of duty in Iraq after being there for 13 months. Both her husband and father have also served in the military.

In her cart were an assortment of colorful handmade lap robes, fleece blankets, hand warmers, packs of playing cards, reading glasses, books, magazines, sleep masks, back scratchers, knitted caps, and other items.

Stopping at each patient’s room, Dwyer peered in to see if they were available for a visit.

“Vietnam vets are particularly appreciative of someone acknowledging them,” she said, “although sometimes patients are reluctant to take these donated items.

“We have just about everything,” she said. “But often all they want to do is chat, but nothing too heavy-duty.”

Stopping in to see David Clare, she persuaded the Navy man who served in World War II to take a knitted cap.

In the hospital for a rotator cuff operation, Clare said it had been a very good experience. “The staff are fantastic. Years ago you used to hear stories about VA hospitals, but they did a sensational job.”

Her next stop was Frank Noble, a retired master sergeant who served in both the Air Force and Navy. Transferred from the VA hospital in Alameda, Noble explained that he and his wife are still trying to figure out where to live next. As Dwyer showed him the lap robes he could choose from, he reminisced about being a kid and seeing his grandmother sitting at the kitchen table making quilts. At the urging of Dwyer, he loaded up on a lap robe, knitted cap, book, socks, back scratcher and set of hand warmers.

As she was leaving, Dwyer asked if she could do anything more. “Just tell me where I’m going next,” asked Noble.

Dwyer laughed and said “I just bring the goodies.”

“You are a goodie,” he replied.

In making her rounds with the patients, Dwyer said most of them don’t want to talk about war. “Generally they are complimentary about the care. About the wonderful nurses. The quality of service provided to them is something to be proud of,” she said.

Volunteers widely used at hospital

Dwyer, like the other volunteers at the VA center, is part of a cadre of dedicated people who are considered unpaid staff at the busy hospital.

According to Maria Almes, who is chief of volunteer services, there are 350 volunteers at the medical center, including 20 from El Dorado County. “But we always need more,” she said.

At present the facility at Mather provides health care to 80,000 unique patients yearly. Currently it is undergoing renovation and expansion due to a growing demand from aging veterans and soldiers coming back from the wars in the Middle East.

Almes said there are a wide variety of duties to choose from for people who want to volunteer at the hospital.

Some staff the information desks at the in-patient and outpatient counter; drive shuttle buses to and from the outlying parking lots; act as parking lot ambassadors which includes meeting patients and directing them where to park; and escorting those who need assistance such as wheelchair patients.

Others, like Dwyer, visit and check on patient needs; provide entertainment (they currently need someone who plays the harp or flute); bring in their pets for some pet therapy; help in the long-term care facility or chaplain’s office; or conduct patient satisfaction surveys.

Almes said they also have a transportation network using donated vans and volunteers so patients can be delivered to and from appointments.

“I have a driver who makes the trip from Yreka three or four times a week,” she said. “Right now we have a big push to recruit more drivers. But we are very careful in screening them before we use them.”

Volunteers also take on special projects. One project consists of painting and restoring a F105 Wild Weasel airplane. During the Vietnam War, Mather Air Force Base was used for training pilots to fly the plane. Once restored, the plane will be re-installed on the hospital grounds.

Another special project in the works is a patient meditation garden. Almes said they are in the process of putting it in and are trying to raise $5,000 for benches and maintenance. She said they will start fund-raising in the fall to pay for the garden as well as to help needy vets. She asked that groups consider holding special events for this purpose — such as car washes — and then donating the proceeds to the VA center for the garden.

Almes said the items in Dwyer’s goodie cart are all donated as well. On a regular basis she prepares a “wish list.” Then through community outreach, she gets those products donated along with hand- crafted items made especially for the vets.

Help from the cooties

Besides the volunteers in the hospital itself, Almes said they work regularly with at least 15 different groups including Daughters of the American Revolution, Sons of the American Revolution, and the Red Cross.

One of those groups is called Soldier’s Angels. Members work tirelessly on behalf of veterans, the wounded, deployed service members and their families. One of their programs consists of “adopting” someone on active duty and writing regular letters to that person. “Getting something in the mail is very important,” said Almes.

Dwyer said she has written to seven different soldiers herself. “I received one of the most meaningful letters from the parent of a son I had been writing to. He didn’t write but in the letter I received from his mom, she wrote how much the letters meant to her son.”

Almes said Blue Star Mothers of America are another group they work with. They greet returning vets at the airport, send care packages, and do outreach with vets.

Then there is the Military Order of the Cootie. A branch of the Veterans of Foreign Wars, they are jokesters who dress up and visit the vets besides spending thousands of dollars on gift bags for them.

Robin Jackson, who is the chief of public affairs, said, “We have opportunities for volunteers in every realm. I had an attorney who loved to write so he did articles and interviews for our newsletter and helped plan events. Volunteering is so rewarding. It fills your life. It’s a way to give back to our heroes.”

Almes said that those who want to volunteer or donate to the VA hospital can contact the Voluntary Services Office at 916-366-5372, 7:30 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. Monday through Friday.

“Vets are the real 1 percent,” said Dwyer. “They give everything and get very little in return. They continue to need our support. We forget about them except on holidays because it doesn’t affect a lot of people. We take it for granted.”

Contact Dawn Hodson at 530-344-5071 or dhodson@mtdemocrat.net. Follow @DHodsonMtDemo on Twitter.

EL DORADO resident Linda Dwyer, pushes a cart filled with useful items down a hallway at the Sacramento VA Medical Center in Rancho Cordova Thursday July 12. Dwyer volunteers at the hospital on Thursdays talking with patients and offering them useful items like gloves, blankets, books, and back scratchers. Democrat photo by Pat Dollins