"I absolutely got more out of it than I put in."
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That's how Michael Keegan feels after volunteering for palliative care for 17 years.
"I was actually recruited in a fish and chip shop, I had been volunteering for an organisation that assists children with disabilities and the volunteer coordinator at the time suggested I come check out the palliative care volunteer program," Mr Keegan said.
That was in 2003.
After retiring as a bank manager, Mr Keegan spent 13 weeks training to be a palliative care volunteer.
"There were about 12 of us at the beginning and we all became somewhat of a family over time."
"We would go to patients houses and sometimes visit them in hospital so their loved ones could get away for a bit."
When he initially said he wanted to do it, his wife Dorothy said that he wouldn't be able to as he himself had recently dealt with his own health struggles.
But Mr Keegan, as determined as ever, went through the training and spent almost every week for 17 years visited the patients to ensure they had someone to talk to.
"You really just have to be a good listener, some people could just talk away and sometimes I would have to keep the conversation going but it wasn't an unpleasant experience."
The only thing Mr Keegan wishes he could do is continue volunteering.
"After I had my stroke I was unable to drive so I had to hand back my badge."
And now, Southern NSW Local Health District is calling on more volunteers to join them in the program.
Mr Keegan says it can be a bittersweet experience, but recommends it.
"Of course it can get hard because human nature means you form connections with people and then they are no longer there but it's almost worth it knowing that you have made a difference in their final days," he said.
"Anybody that has the time will get a lot out of it ... just give it a go and see how it goes, it grows on you very quickly I think the best thing is the people you get to interact with."
Though he can no longer volunteer, he takes the lessons and the experiences he's shared in his 17 years with him.
"This one fella was really sick and he still had the greatest outlook on life," he said.
Mr Keegan said palliative care volunteers didn't have to do any of the medical side of things, but rather just be there for people.
For information on how to become a volunteer, Palliative Care Volunteer Coordinator Emma Perkins can be contacted on 0499 937 320 or through their website.
Mr Keegan says that if someone has the time it is definitely something worthwhile doing.
