We all fall ill from time to time and vulnerable older people are particularly at risk.  As a Re-engage volunteer, you may find yourself in situations when you need to seek immediate professional medical advice or help. It’s good practice to be prepared to handle emergency situations to the best of our ability, even though they may happen rarely.   
 
Please read the scenario below and answer the questions that follow. You’ll find the answers at the bottom of the page.  

Jenny is a Re-engage tea party  guest. She is 75 and generally well. She has children and grandchildren, but she doesn’t meet up with them regularly as they don't live nearby.   Re-engage tea parties provide an opportunity for her to  socialise with others and since joining the group, she hasn’t missed a single tea party. Last month when Theo, a volunteer driver, picked her up from her home, he noticed that she was a bit quieter than normal. He asked her if everything was okay. Jenny told him that she hadn’t felt well the night before and hadn’t slept well as a result. She wanted to call her group coordinator and let her know that she couldn’t attend  this month’s tea party. But she decided she could pull herself together and that being with friends would make her feel better.  

When they arrived at the host’s house, Jenny got out of the car independently with no problem. But during the party she wasn’t her normal chatty self, and she didn’t eat much. Theo felt concerned and a couple of times he asked her how she was feeling and whether she was well enough to stay at the party. But on each occasion, Jenny reassured Theo that all was well. Towards the end of the tea party, Jenny started complaining that she was feeling a bit short of breath. She became pale and sweaty. Theo and the other volunteers became concerned that this might be an emergency that needed to be handled by healthcare professionals.  

Questions 

1.  Do you think this was an emergency situation?   

a.  Yes   

b.  No    

c.  Not sure  

2.  What would you do differently if you were in Theo’s place?  

a.  Nothing, I would do exactly as Theo did.  

b.  I would share my concerns about Jenny with my group coordinator as soon as I arrived at the party.   

c.  I would take Jenny home as soon as I noticed she was not well. 

3.  What should you do as a volunteer in similar situations? (More than one answer may apply)   

a.  Let the group coordinator know as soon as I notice an older person is unwell. 

b.  Remain calm. 

c.  Call 111 or 999 for professional medical advice and help, depending on the severity of the situation. 

d.  Ensure someone stays with the unwell person. 

e.  Communicate my decisions with the older person. 

f.  Ask the older person whether they need any family members to be contacted. 

Answers  

 Q1: a   

Jenny was short of breath, pale and sweaty. This can be an emergency that would need immediate medical attention and professional care.  

Q2: b     

Theo was aware that Jenny had been a  bit unwell the night before and was careful and considerate throughout the tea party, noticing that she was not her normal self. However, he should have shared his concerns with the group coordinator. This could help the group coordinator with  decision making and making emergency calls. Generally, it is good practice to pass on any concerns and worries to your group coordinator as soon as possible so that you can make decisions together if something goes wrong.

Q3: All of the options apply 

An emergency situation at a tea party should be handled exactly in the same way as any other emergency situation. Please remember that older people who attend our tea parties, or who are part of our other services, are adults with the capacity to make decisions. So we should involve them in the decision making process and respect the choices they make. 

We have a range of training materials available for our volunteers on our website. If you haven’t completed the volunteers’ handbook, core training, and the training related to your specific role yet, please refer to the training section on our website.