Visiting, Volunteering Advocates for Nursing Home, Long-Term Care Residents

Some loved ones and volunteers think that visiting nursing home residents is a purely social call. They want to remind residents that they are still loved and decrease their loneliness. They want to check on how loved ones are doing in very general ways so they can report back to relatives, church members, colleagues, coordinators, and others about a simple level of patient progress to soften their worries. What they often don’t do, in addition to socializing, is see themselves as healthcare advocates who should be seriously evaluating the quality of residents’ lives in terms of appearance, conversation, environment, interactions with others, and unmet needs. What’s really important is that visitors and volunteers have a clear understanding of their roles as active patient advocates.

  

People will have personal approaches as to how they can most effectively serve as patient advocates with visits more than social. I write about my true observations of visits by a caregiver named Lonnetta in my book. She always impressed me with the seriousness of how she viewed her role as visitor and caregiver whenever she dropped by to see her sister. While I would not recommend Lonnetta’s approach for everyone, it worked for her. She was laser-focused on the fact that, above all, she was there as an advocate for improving the quality of life of Sister, her loved one.

(Excerpt from Becoming Dead Right: A Hospice Volunteer in Urban Nursing Homes)

“Lonnetta’s eyes surveyed Sister’s condition. Was her hair combed? Were her clothes and linen clean? Did she appear overly medicated, hungry, depressed? Did she have any mysterious bruises? Lonnetta was evaluating Sister’s care at the nursing home. Sister’s mind was fading with dementia. It was hard for her to explain what went on when Lonnetta wasn't there. But, if Lonnetta wasn’t satisfied with her sister’s care, she made her voice heard until the problem was corrected. She wasn’t the kind of woman people wanted to agitate, particularly if she had already tried to work with them in a calm manner. With a black-belt tongue that could give air a whipping and make dinner trays tremble, Lonnetta didn’t care what people thought when she finally caused a scene. All she cared about was Sister.

Employees at the nursing home knew that Lonnetta did an evaluation during her visits, which were scheduled at different times. That way, they never could be sure about the time she would arrive. Conscious efforts were made by employees to be in compliance, even though they didn’t always succeed. Lonnetta checked Sister’s personal belongings located in her closet. Several caregivers had complained about patients’ clothes being missing and a few gifts that had disappeared for unexplained reasons. One of my patient’s portable oxygen tanks that had been provided by hospice turned up missing. I checked everywhere, but no one knew what happened to it. Another patient had an overcoat missing. He couldn’t take a car trip with his family until he could borrow someone else’s coat. Lonnetta took Sister's clothes home and washed them, so she could keep track of them better.

Lonnetta was diligent about taking care of her sister.  Her method wasn’t perfect, but it was better than no method at all. For the most part, it seemed to work, but there were still times when she had to raise the roof with a complaint about Sister’s care. Sister was one of the lucky residents who had a persistent advocate with a personal interest in her welfare and the quality of life to which she was entitled.”

Frances Shani Parker, Author

Becoming Dead Right: A Hospice Volunteer in Urban Nursing Homes is available in paperback and e-book editions in America and other countries at online and offline booksellers.

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