HOSPITAL ELDER LIFE PROGRAM (HELP)
Do you enjoy spending time and interacting with older adults? If you answered yes, then there is a perfect volunteer opportunity for you with the Hospital Elder Life Program (HELP). This program uses volunteers and other healthcare providers to give personalized, supportive care and attention to the older adult. With the help of volunteers and a specialized healthcare team, this program has been shown to: • Prevent delirium, temporary confusion, while hospitalized • Allow the patient to stay as independent as possible until discharge from the hospital • Ensure patients at risk are seen multiple times per day by the HELP care team What is the program and its goals? The goal of the program is to ensure through consistent interaction the patient is aware of the present day, time, or current events and that they are being mentally engaged during their stay. This program maintains both physical and mental function while maximizing independence through the use of daily activities such as: • Orientation of their surroundings • Mobilization • Therapeutic activities • Non- medication sleep actions/protocols • Using adaptations for the hearing/vision impaired When an older adult is hospitalized, they may decline from inactivity and illness and need additional care in the form of rehab or a nursing home instead of going back home. This program is proactive in preventing delirium from developing in at risk older adults. How can volunteers make a difference? Volunteers help to provide daily orientation, getting the patient moving around regularly throughout the day, providing companionship during meals, and interacting with the patient for therapeutic activities. We want the hospital stay to be as normal of a day as possible to the older adult to keep them functioning close to what they were before coming to the hospital. Examples of therapeutic activities include: • Reading newspapers to keep the patient up to date on current events • Talking with the patient about various interests of the patient • Playing games The increased interaction through the use of volunteers helps the patient feel more comfortable both physically and emotionally during the hospital stay.
What is the time requirement & qualifications to be a HELP volunteer? • Must be able to volunteer a minimum of 100 hours over 6 months • Training orientation session to include classes & shadowing • Reliable, caring and enjoy working with older adults • Able to work independently and assume responsibility • Must be sensitive to all patients and their circumstances • Able to refer questions to others as needed • Discreet, empathetic behavior and able to be diplomatic when talking with patients, patient families, and staff What patients qualify for the program? The program is intended for older adults at risk for developing delirium and declining both physically and mentally during the hospital stay. The older adult must meet certain criteria to be in the program. The following criteria is used for screening potential patients: • 70 years of age or older • A planned hospital stay of at least 48 hours • Must be able to participate in activities with the volunteers • Must be able to verbally communicate Exclusion criteria includes the patient being in palliative care phase or the presence of a life threatening situation preventing volunteers from interacting and working with the older adult. Who is involved in the program? This program uses a multidisciplinary approach to provide comprehensive patient care. The following people are involved in the HELP program: • Certified Geriatric Physician or Elder Life specialist • Elder Life Coordinator • Physical Therapist • Occupational Therapist • Discharge Planner • Pharmacy • Volunteers The Elder Life Coordinator oversees the daily operations of the program, screens and enrolls patients into the program, and provides daily volunteer assignments. The volunteers provide direct interventions at the patient's bedside and serve as a liaison to the nurse and Elder Life Coordinator. For more information or to volunteer, please call Elder Life Coordinator Alyssa Martin at (478) 633-1264 or
[email protected] Visit navicenthealth.org/get-involved to download an application
