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John Curtin volunteers for HammondCare and devotes his time to supporting people in the palliative care inpatient unit at Greenwich Hospital.

Under the guise of simply pushing a coffee cart, he provides both deep conversation and barista-quality coffee to those needing support and comfort. He has recently undertaken additional training to become a pastoral care volunteer. 

Interested in patient feedback, John helps set up and conduct patient surveys to ensure continuous service improvement. He finds these surveys also serve as a helpful starting point for patients to share their needs, hopes, and wishes. 

With his nursing background, John possesses a deep understanding of the needs of both patients and their visitors. He is passionate about supporting people in need and is dedicated to ensuring the patients’ best possible quality of life.  

Volunteer Coordinator, Wendy Stocks, is thrilled such an experienced and well-rounded volunteer has made it to the finalist list.

‘John’s nursing background really helps him understand the needs of palliative care patients. He is a good listener and always committed to making sure patients have what they need and are comfortable in their final moments.

‘He is the sort of guy that you can rely on and always gets things done. He is always the first to put his hand out to help, and he is always generous with his time.‘

John has been kind enough to tell us a bit about himself and his volunteering. 

Please tell us about your volunteer role and the activities you engage in at your service. 

Patient surveys are my main job. They provide me with an entrée to a patient’s room, and very often I end up talking with them for over an hour. I think they like the fact that I’m not there to perform a clinical or medical task and I can take the time to just be with them. More recently I’ve also done clerical work, based on my commercial experience. I’ve facilitated monthly mail-outs for our bereavement service helping families and loved ones stay connected.

What prompted you to volunteer in palliative care? 

I studied nursing in my 60’s at Greenwich. In the last 4 years of my career, forming therapeutic relationships with patients was taught as good nursing practice but busy nurses don’t have the luxury of time to talk; I learned this firsthand. I wanted to go back and spend time talking with patients, to pick up where I left off as a nurse. So often there is a real need for more human interaction.

I also live close to Greenwich Hospital and had my first encounters with the wonderful care offered there when my father-in-law and my mother lived out their last days in the palliative care unit. HammondCare staff do palliative care so well. Volunteering is the most satisfying and fulfilling time for me. 

What do you enjoy most about being a palliative care volunteer? 

Being able to offer company to people who may be in their last days. They can talk with me about anything. It’s surprising how easy it often is to find some common ground on which to start a conversation. I hope that my being there makes a difference for them, as it does for me. Every story that someone is prepared to share as they reflect on their life is special and is to be valued. It’s a privilege for me to just be present. 

Please tell us about a time you had a particularly inspiring volunteering experience. 

On two or three occasions, I have had long conversations with patients who had no visitors. They were dying and there was no one to be there with them. We find this out by doing patient surveys and I find it enjoyable having a chat and listening to them for an hour and a half. 

Please share some words of wisdom for fellow volunteers. 

Having support and feedback is very important. I happen to be working with the best volunteer coordinator ever at HammondCare, Wendy Stocks. She is our number one supporter. She helps with organising functions, providing information about what’s going on, and assisting us to deliver the quality care patients need. 

What would you say to someone who might be thinking about becoming a palliative care volunteer? 

The work we do can be invisible, yet so important. The sense of value in the job comes firstly from HammondCare. The organisation gives volunteering a high priority and has developed support networks. The ongoing support we receive from volunteer coordinators and other staff is really appreciated, too. 

The winner of the 2025 NSW Palliative Care Volunteer of the Year Award will be announced on 21 May and automatically entered in to the Palliative Care Australia National Awards. Winners of the National Awards are announced at the Oceanic Palliative Care Conference.