When volunteer Matt arrives at HammondCare Miranda, where he runs a weekly Men's Club, he brings a bag of handpicked resources to share – footy cards, puzzles, games, music – all carefully chosen to match the interests of the men he supports, who are living with dementia.
Volunteer Coordinator Dani: Matt is the conduit to residents’ past experiences and memories, reminding them of the things that bring them joy.
Matt: When I retired in 2016, I found I had time to give back to the community. Since starting with HammondCare, a standout experience for me has been with a resident with limited capacity to communicate. I learned that he loves listening to South American music, from his homeland Brazil, so I obtained a CD for him. One day he lifted his head, grabbed one of my hands and said repeatedly 'Thank you, thank you, thank you'.
The look of joy in his eyes brought tears to mine.
I’m passionate about improving quality of life by engaging residents through social interaction and activities that preserve their dignity and self-respect. HammondCare has taken my life experience to a new level in working with so many like-minded people. It’s a two-way street.