AMA VICDOC Spring 2023 - Magazine - Page 62
DOCTO R S V I S I T I N G D OCTO RS
PEER VISITOR
PROGRAM
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CONNECTION TO REDUCE ISOLATION
AND LONELINESS THROUGH THE
PEER VISITOR PROGRAM
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The AMA Victoria Peer Visitor Program
is based on the principle of doctors
supporting doctors. Many older doctors
miss the companionship of their peers and
colleagues when they retire, especially as
they become frail or move into a residential
aged care facility. Our Peer Visitor Program
offers companionship by linking older
doctors or doctors who have become
incapacitated with a volunteer who is a
doctor or medical student for regular visits.
One of the key aims of the program
is to address loneliness. Loneliness is a
function of our need for companionship
and belonging. As social beings, we rely on
safe, secure social surroundings to survive
and thrive. When we begin to feel lonely,
we feel vulnerable and often experience
a loss of self-worth, which can take a toll
on both our physical and mental health.
While the program addresses isolation
and loneliness for the older doctors or
doctors who have become incapacitated,
the volunteer visitors also benefit from
their involvement. For medical students,
the opportunity to meet regularly
If you are aware of any
former doctors who may
benefit from a visitor
please contact Kay Dunkley.
Click here for
more info about
the AMA Victoria
Peer Visitor Program
with an older doctor leads to refined
communication skills and increased
confidence when talking with older
people. Some medical students and early
career doctors miss older relatives who
live in distant locations. The program can
provide them with someone to connect
with outside their university-based peer
group and work colleagues.
The doctor volunteers involved in
the program also report enjoying the
regular companionship of the older or
incapacitated doctor they are visiting.
In contrast to the practice of medicine
with respect to patient relationships, in
this role they can form personal bonds
with the person they are visiting. Our
volunteer visitors enjoy hearing about how
medicine was practised in the past and
sharing details of current medical practice.
Medicine is a small world and often the
matched pairs find commonalities in
people they know or places of work.
While we have many doctors and medical
students willing to volunteer, we find it hard
to identify older or incapacitated doctors
as many are no longer in contact with
AMA Victoria. We welcome referrals
from colleagues, family and friends.
THE PEER VISITOR PROGRAM
IS PROUDLY SPONSORED BY
VMIAL, THE NAME BEHIND
PSA INSURANCE.
