Enhancing the Lives of Nursing Home Residents One Volunteer at a Time
*Important Update 8/2018
Pantene’s hair donation program will end on December 31, 2018. However, other programs will continue to accept hair donations to create wigs for children. Each has its own protocols, so I encourage you to check out these sites:
Do you volunteer at a nonprofit nursing home? Then you’ll want to read this post. We all face the challenge of creating enjoyable and meaningful activities for our residents while staying within a tight budget. An organization called NAEIR may be able to help.
The National Association for the Exchange of Industrial Resources is a group that collects surplus merchandise from businesses and distributes it to nonprofit organizations. They’ve been in business since 1977.
Some of the companies that support NAEIR are Office Depot, Crayola, 3M, Papermate, Rubbermaid, and Delta. Available products include crafts, books, toys, party supplies, office supplies, and toiletries.
I’m fascinated by the attitudes of our American society when it comes to growing old. We tend to see aging as something bad, something to be feared and avoided, rather than a natural part of life.
We color our gray hair, pay big bucks for creams to diminish our wrinkles, and swallow all sorts of anti-aging pills. Today’s media tries to convince us that everyone over age 50 suffers from bladder leakage, chronic constipation, and a multitude of aches and pains. We joke about receding hairlines, bifocal glasses, and memory lapses.
We’ve all heard it said that laughter is the best medicine. And a good laugh feels great, too! Numerous studies demonstrate the positive effects of laughter in the nursing home. Here are just a few:
When we think of virtual reality, we usually picture a teenager playing video games. But virtual reality is becoming increasingly common in healthcare. Through the use of a virtual reality headset and other equipment, people get the impression that they are in another 3-dimensional world. Check out the ways virtual reality enhances the lives of nursing home residents:
Virtual reality helps residents cope with chronic pain by temporarily taking them to a happy, peaceful place. In addition, it provides relief by guiding residents through relaxation exercises and meditations. Virtual reality can also provide distraction during painful procedures like dressing changes. It is especially helpful for amputees who are coping with phantom pain.
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