Community Visitors Scheme (CVS)

The Community Visitors Scheme (CVS) is an initiative of the Australian Government and is funded nationally by the Department of Health and Ageing.

The aim of this program is to enrich the quality of life of residents of Aged Care Homes (Nursing Homes or Aged Hostels) who have been identified as being lonely or socially isolated and might benefit from having a regular friendly visitor.

In addition, the CVS also helps to establish links between people living in Aged Care Homes and their community, this becomes even more relevant for residents identified as of Culturally and Linguistic Diverse background (CALD), have limited fluency of  English and therefore are faced with a language barrier.

As a Community Visitor, you need to commit to visiting your resident friend at least once a fortnight.  Visits should be spent doing something you both enjoy - you might want to read, listen to music, chat and reminisce, or watch a favourite TV program together.  The activities you undertake will depend on the health of the resident.  Sharing your time and your interests with the resident will help them feel better about themselves and enjoy their life more.

 The Liverpool MRC will provide you with support and training and reimbursement for out of pocket expenses.

So if you can spare a couple of hours fortnightly, this can be a very rewarding experience and you will be making someone’s day a little brighter.

Contact the Community Visitors Scheme Coordinator on 02 9601 3788.