1.

Attend a one-hour health and safety procedure orientation prior to meeting the resident. Normally, the volunteer coordinator will provide the Nursing Home orientation.

2.

Attend 4 one-hour training sessions before you begin your sessions with the senior.

3.

Wear a name badge at all times when you are in the Nursing Home.

4.

Arrange to have a tuberculosis test and a police check done prior to meeting the resident. You must provide proof that these procedures are complete before meeting the senior resident. (this may vary depending upon the demands of each Nursing Home).

5.

Meet with the volunteer coordinator to discuss reasons for volunteering, your interests, background and what kind of material you hope to cover with the senior.

6.

Meet with the senior resident at first in his/her room for several sessions and then move to computer area once the resident gets to know you. This may vary depending upon the wishes of the resident.

7.

Plan to meet with the senior resident once per week for 3 months for one hour each visit.

8.

Coordinate the meetings with the senior resident with the volunteer coordinator as times will depend upon computer availability.

9.

Keep the meeting as planned (it is a priority) as the senior resident will depend upon your visit.

10.

If you cannot meet the senior resident as planned, phone the volunteer coordinator and leave a message identifying yourself, who your resident is, what room they live in and the day and time of your call. Request that the senior resident be informed that you cannot make the meeting and that you will come later in the week. Check with the volunteer coordinator for times.

11.

Complete whatever documentation required by the volunteer coordinator. For example: time sheets, comments about your visit, etc.

12.

At the beginning of each meeting with the senior resident, you must spend a few minutes in conversation to discover how the senior’s week was, updating him/her on your activities (seniors like to hear what you are doing).

14.

The two areas that you will introduce to the senior are:
1) getting an email address and learning to use email or helping them to use the email
2) finding internet sites that are of interest to them based upon their background or curiosity

15.

You should expect to attend a meeting every other month with the volunteer coordinator and other volunteers to discuss your progress with the resident.

16.

If you have concerns about the senior’s health when you are with them, you should report this immediately to the nurse at the nursing station. Leave a note for your volunteer coordinator that you have reported something to the nurse.

17.

If there is something that is troubling you about your resident’s progress or lack of progress, inform the volunteer coordinator and discuss this with him or her. (Example: they can't remember anything, they don't want to use the computer any longer, they became angry or frustrated very easily, personalities don't match, etc.)

18.

If you find you are missing several weeks in a row, then perhaps you should rethink your priorities as this amount of missed time is not acceptable and is not good for the resident who will be disappointed in your inability to keep your schedule. This issue needs to be discussed with the volunteer coordinator. Perhaps you should be reassigned to another activity that would not be so demanding on your time.

19.

If you have a cold or the flu, do not visit the resident. Telephone the volunteer coordinator and/or the resident and inform them of your situation. It is your responsibility to arrange another meeting (do this through the coordinator.)