Carole Smith spent 35 years as a Registered Nurse in a neonatal intensive care unit. After a long career delivering babies and caring for newborns, she eventually felt it was time to step back from the hospital floor.
"I thought I’d miss it but I don’t, so it must have been the right time," Carole said.
Retirement did not mean slowing down for Carole, and she was quickly looking for another nursing role - this time in aged care.
While she still works one night shift a week in aged care, Carole wanted to find a gentle way to transition into proper retirement.
A month ago, she decided to start volunteering with the Lifestyle team at Southern Cross Care.
The move into volunteering was immediately a rewarding experience and Carole then put her hand up to volunteer through the Cafe Connections program in the Woolstore Cafe, which is soon to become a vibrant hub of social activity at Mount Carmel.
While stepping into a new environment brought a few initial nerves, Carole quickly settled in with the support of the team.
"I was a bit nervous when I started thinking I don’t know how to do all this stuff, it’s all new to me, but I’ve quite enjoyed learning," Carole said.
"Learning something else keeps your brain going."
For Carole, giving her time to support others offers simple everyday rewards.
She enjoys connecting with residents and being part of a welcoming environment.
"It’s good fun, it fills up your day, and you're helping people and it’s just enjoyable," Carole said.
"The staff you work with are lovely, they’re so helpful.
“So I would encourage people to do it."
Outside of volunteering and work, Carole has a busy home life.
She lives with her partner of 50 years, Peter, and one of her adult sons and his partner, who is soon expecting Carole’s third grandchild.
Carole regularly looks after her other two grandchildren, and spends the rest of her time gardening, tending her bees, walking her two dogs, and meeting fortnightly with a seniors group.
Then of course she has her holidays - the most recent a month-long trip to Canada and Alaska.
Carole is yet another volunteer proving that a few hours a week spent helping out in a Residential Care home makes a difference for residents, staff and the volunteer themselves!
For more information about volunteering visit our Volunteers page.
