Assisted Living Articles » Interacting with the Assisted Living Community
How can I help the Assisted Living community we’ve selected?
You can consider offering your help at a scheduled time to assist with an activity, or perhaps someone who doesn’t have family members living nearby could benefit from you asking them to join you for lunch at the table when you go to visit for lunch with your mother or father.
Communities often need help when they have planned special events. Most communities plan a monthly, larger event. Offering even an hour of your time can be of great help to the community.
Another way you can be extremely helpful is to follow a chain of command within an Assisted Living community. It’s common for family members to bond with one or more caregivers and begin to make requests of the caregiver directly rather than speaking with the management of the community. It is a better idea for family to speak with the person(s) managing the staff rather than giving direction directly to the caregiver. By doing so, you’re ensuring that the overall plan of care is more consistent. You are also respecting the caregiver’s situation. It is hard enough working for one boss imagine having twenty bosses.
Ask the management what you can do to help, and consider offering specific amounts of time or a specific day you may be available to help. Giving the management a specific idea of what you are willing to do would also help, such as, I can help decorate from 3 to 4:30PM next Friday
Or
If there is a resident who needs a visit for ten minutes every week, I could go and do that before I go to visit my mother in her apartment.
Being specific of what you’re willing and not willing to do is key. Many people give blanket offers to communities, but communities don’t typically know how to manage this type of information unless they have hired a specific volunteer coordinator, which is rare.
Call CHOICE at 800-361-0138 for a free,
in-home consultation or guidance by phone or email
Last update: 2007-04-02 20:21
Author: Tech Support
Revision: 1.0
