Volunteer at the Local Nursing Home
Volunteering at a nursing home can be a wonderful experience. You will get to help your community and will get volunteer hours for scouts, NHS, or college. The residents of the nursing home will be so happy you are there. This article will tell you how to begin volunteering at your local nursing home.
Steps
How to Volunteer
- Get the permission of your parents or guardians. If you are a minor, you will need this permission to start volunteering.
- Go online or get the phone book and find the number of the nursing home at which you would like to volunteer.
- Get ready to call the nursing home. Locate a calendar so that you will know when you are free to volunteer, and have a pen and paper to write down important information.
- Get the phone and call the nursing home. When someone answers, say "hello, my name is _____ and I would like to volunteer at (__name of nursing home__). Can you tell me who to talk to?".
- They will either give you a name and phone number, which you should write on your paper, then you should thank them and hang up. Or they will offer to connect you to the volunteer supervisor.You should thank them and wait to be connected.
- Either call the person or wait to be connected to them. Then just say "hello, my name is _____ and I would like to volunteer at (__name of nursing home__)." They will be happy for your help and will guide you through what to do next.
What to Do as a Volunteer
- Follow instructions. As a volunteer, it's important to follow the rules and guidelines provided by the volunteer coordinator or staff member. Even if you think something could be done a better way, there might be an important reason for the current system. Avoid causing problems or throwing off the schedule by following the rules of your assignment.
- Go above and beyond. Following the rules and guidelines doesn't mean you have to do the bare minimum. If you're assigned to wheel patients from one room to another, take the time to talk to them, hold their hands and learn their names. If a staff member ever asks for your help with anything, be willing to jump in -- even if it takes extra time or effort.
- Choose activities that work for the age range. If you are given the freedom to plan the activities yourself, put yourself in the shoes of the residents and consider what they will enjoy. If you're going to play music or do karaoke, choose songs from their time era that they will actually recognize. Ask the residents or the staff members what past activities have worked really well, and incorporate some of those into your plan. Even if it's not always an activity that you personally enjoy, remember that this time isn't about you.
- Be consistent. If you say you'll be there for an hour every Tuesday afternoon, be there for an hour every Tuesday afternoon. Not only is it stressful for the staff and other volunteers if you miss your assignment, it can also be disappointing to the residents. Life at a nursing home can be very monotonous, and they look forward to special visits and activities. Before committing to a volunteer schedule, make sure it's a reasonable commitment that you can definitely keep. If you ever need to adjust your schedule, let the volunteer coordinator know well in advance.
- Be yourself. It can be intimidating when you start volunteering because you don't know any of the residents. Keep in mind that not every resident is the same -- they have different personalities and interests, just like you. Act like you're meeting people your own age and don't be afraid to be yourself. Tell them about your hobbies and interests and ask them about theirs. Chances are, you might have more in common than you initially think.
