Nursing Home Blog
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Why are Volunteers So Important to Nursing Homes?
Posted on Mon, November 24, 2008 at 11:04 am
How important are volunteers to your loved one’s nursing home? More important than you might realize. So important, in fact, that knowing volunteer numbers and ratios might even be a determining factor in your choice of homes.
All nursing homes are staffed with an activity director and activity aides who are responsible for organizing everything from bingo games to tea socials to holiday functions. The problem can lie in the number of activity aides per resident. Typically, homes do not have enough activity aides to get all residents to every activity, making it impossible for residents who need assistance to participate in all of these stimulating functions and events. This can severely impede ones enjoyment of a nursing home.
Although volunteers can benefit any department of a nursing home, the activity department has the most to gain from having a large volunteer pool. Since volunteers help bring residents to activities, the more help that is available, the more that residents will be able to join in exciting programs. Once there, volunteers can also play a big role in helping residents participate.
Additionally, homes heavily rely on volunteers to visit bedridden residents and residents who prefer one-on-one visits. For many residents, the alternative to participating in activities, absent volunteer accompaniment, is sitting in a hallway watching people pass by, or merely sitting in their room alone. Participating in activities has a major influence on resident’s quality of life, so be sure to ask your prospective homes about the number of volunteers that work at the home. Your loved one will be glad you did.
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