WeCU Family Care Program’s newest recruit Glenn Ellis may be new to an Intensive Care Unit (ICU) environment but caring for extended family is something he has committed to most of his adult life.
WeCU is an Australian first and was founded by the RBWH Foundation in 2022 to provide families with information, care and comfort; facilitate communication with a loved one’s healthcare team; and assist with accommodation bookings and patient travel subsidy support.
“While I may not have a medical background, my life experiences – caring for loved ones, navigating difficult situations and overcoming personal challenges – have instilled in me a deep sense of empathy and a genuine desire to help others during their most vulnerable moments,” said Glenn, pictured below with patient family member Toni Nall.
WeCU is staffed by a dedicated team 7 days a week and, on average, helps about 200 people every day. The RBWH Foundation has also funded refurbishment of the ICU waiting room, which now offers welcome packs, a library and coffee vouchers.
Glenn joined WeCU in January, deciding to return to work after retiring at the end of the COVID. The former program manager for Queensland Environment wanted to give back to the community and the first job he saw advertised was with WeCU Family Care.
“We often have anxiety and grief amongst our visitors to ICU, so our role is to settle them in and make them feel comfortable that that ICU is the best place their loved one could be, because they’re getting the very best attention,” said Glenn.
“Once we've found that it's okay for the patient to be visited, we explain to loved ones what they're going to see within the unit.
“It can be quite a scary environment so we make family feel calm and supported and if they feel uncomfortable, we can come back to the waiting room for them to speak with a social worker or take time to readjust.”
WeCU was co-created with RBWH patient families, particularly Mat and Bianca Jones-Umina, who lost their 17-year-old son Nikias to Sudden Unexpected Death in Epilepsy in 2021; and Russell and Belinda Leary, whose 19-yr-old daughter Alexa was treated in RBWH ICU for traumatic brain injury in 2021.
“The WeCU Family Care program is a wonderful example of how the community can partner with the RBWH Foundation, to create life-changing projects which help RBWH go above and beyond,” said RBWH Foundation CEO Simone Garske.
As one of the Southern Hemisphere’s largest trauma hospitals, RBWH ICU treats patients from as far afield as regional and remote Queensland, Northern New South Wales, the Northern Territory and Pacific Rim.
“I really feel that I'm in the right place to feel like I'm being of use to my community,” said Glenn.
Donate today to support important programs like this.
