The Hospital Elder Life Program is designed to improve the hospital experience for older patients by helping them maintain their cognitive and functional abilities; maximizing independence at discharge; assisting with the transition to the home; and preventing unplanned readmission. These goals are achieved through the work of a skilled interdisciplinary team with geriatric expertise, assisted by trained volunteers who carry out interventions specially designed to meet the needs of older hospital patients.
Through HELP, the hospital becomes a place where older patients can feel secure as they participate in their course of treatment and maintain some control over their own recuperation.
The HELP Volunteer
The role of the HELP volunteer is to support the interdisciplinary team.
This could include the following:
Daily visits to provide orientation, communication, and social support
Therapeutic activities such as mental stimulation and socialization
Early mobilization through daily exercise and walking assistance
Feeding assistance and companionship during meals
Ocean University Medical Center has recently implemented the HELP program on our Acute Care of the Elderly (ACE) Unit and is seeking volunteers.
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