One man’s mission making waves in Ward 6C

A LIFESTYLE coordinator role being trialled at Bendigo Hospital has been so successful, calls are coming from left, right and centre to make the job permanent.

That’s thanks in no small part to the person who’s been filling the position since January this year, broadcaster and former Bendigo Intercultural Ambassador Ben Sam.

Graeme McConachy, the nurse unit manager in inpatient Ward 6C, where the trial is happening, said he’s never seen anything like it.

“Over more than 15 years, I don’t think we’ve received as much recognition from families, doctors and nurses on the ward, just saying how Ben provides that different vibe,” he said.

“When people walk in and he’s got the music playing, they might be singing and having a bit of a laugh – it’s not that normal hospital-associated sort of feeling.

“The nurses have found it very beneficial in particular because it takes a bit of the workload off them.”

The man himself agreed that the feedback has been great.

“I can feel it within myself,” Sam said.

“My engagement with the patients has been almost like I see most of them as my parents and my friends.

“I can feel this joy within them – normally you see a patient in hospital, you don’t see a smiling face.

“But you walk into this world and you see a hope of victory to this patient now, like things are going to get better.”

McConachy said the trial is helping in a range of ways.

“For a lot of our patients, we treat their illness, but when they need to transition to a nursing home or somewhere else, it’s that void while they’re waiting that we’re trying to fill,” he said.

“They could be here for weeks, and we know lying in bed, not getting up and walking or functioning, they’re going to deteriorate quickly.

“It’s all about what we can do in that period to get better outcomes for our patients.”

He said the ward would love to have Sam working permanently, full time.

“We’d even like his hours extended till later because you find with dementia patients, some of the behaviours tend to escalate in the evenings,” McConachy said.

“So, if we could, our aim is to try to get people up and moving and tire them out a bit so that they end up sleeping better at night as well.”

Sam said he regards himself as someone making a real change to the patients’ lives.

“I see myself making the patients happier and reminding them that they’re not alone,” he said.

“Some of them, they get transferred to aged care, nursing homes and other places.

“There’s been a few that I’ve got along with so much, and when they’re going, I feel a little bit sad.

“I always have a word to them – When the wind blows, I’m always going to hear your voice. When the sun shines, your smile will brighten up.

“I’m someone who tries to reflect every little negative into positive, you know, regardless of what it is.”