If you know Jim Ausfahl’s sense of humor and ask him what he is doing since retiring as a family practice physician, he may say, “I’m pushing people around and talking behind their back.”
Dr. Ausfahl is among the ranks of volunteers at Carle Health who spend their time as escorts, transporting patients via wheelchair from one location to another. Twice a week he volunteers at Carle Health Proctor Hospital in Peoria, following in the footsteps of his late brother-in-law, who also was a volunteer escort at Dr. Ausfahl’s urging.
“When retirement happened, I thought, that would be a good gig,” he said. As someone who has studied ministry, pure mathematics and statistics as well as medicine, Dr. Ausfahl said he sees volunteering as continuing patient care from a different perspective.
“It keeps you engaged with people; lots of people. Statistically, if you remain socially engaged your probability of dementia goes down and you live longer. Plus, it is a lot of fun,” he said. “People are incredibly grateful.”
At Carle Health Methodist Hospital in Peoria, Joel VanNess said he averages 55 to 60 trips during the two days a week he is a volunteer escort. Retired for five years as a senior master planner, VanNess said his wife, a nurse, encouraged him to volunteer. “I was sitting around the house too much after COVID.”
Volunteering is nothing new for VanNess though. He has been a volunteer firefighter for 42 years and an EMT for 22 years.
“I work with a bunch of great people. It’s very rewarding. You meet all types of people. They are asking for help and I am there to help them,” he said.
At age 92, some may think Clyde Laier could use help, but he is helping others, marking 19 years of
volunteering at what is now Carle Health Pekin Hospital. A retired Tazewell County engineer, Laier said he escorts patients in wheelchairs and also delivers lab work papers at the hospital. He said his late wife, Betty, encouraged him to start volunteering at the hospital where she also volunteered her time.
“I always start out the day and ask the Lord to let me be an encouragement to someone else today,” Laier said. “You are using your time to serve someone else. It relieves the staff also.”
Those interested in volunteering as a wheelchair escort may contact Volunteer Services at Volunteer.Services@carle.com or call (217) 383-3024. Search for other volunteer opportunities by need at each hospital location in the Carle Health system.
Categories: Culture of Quality, Community
Tags: Peoria, volunteers