Volunteers

Thank you for joining the 300-strong team of volunteers at The Hebrew Home for the Aged at Riverdale. Volunteering at the Home is an experience that can enrich your life as well as the people you visit. Whether you are reading to an older person, helping out on an arts & crafts project, or accompanying a resident on a walk, your time is wanted, needed, and appreciated.

The links above will take you through the procedures every volunteer must follow. It also details the volunteer dress code, insurance policy, benefits, and medical requirements.

Before we begin, we’d like to introduce you to our mission at The Hebrew Home. HHAR’s mission is to provide the aged with the highest quality of care in an atmosphere that respects and celebrates the Jewish religion and its customs, laws, and traditions. We strive to treat our residents with the utmost respect, in a way that enhances their independence and dignity. Our volunteers reflect and strengthen the mission in their commitment and dedication at HHAR.

The volunteer office on the main floor of HHAR is the volunteers’ home base and is the first place you check into when you arrive at HHAR. The office is staffed Monday through Friday from 8:30 a.m. to 6:00 p.m., and on most Sundays from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Please sign in, and hang up your coat.

After you’ve completed these two steps, it’s time to treat yourself to a cup of coffee and take a few minutes to relax before you go on duty. (Please come back after your assignment for a second cup!) Signing in is easy, but is extremely important for the volunteer as well as the Volunteer Service Staff:

• It lets the staff know if you are here, in case someone needs to get in touch with you.
• It allows us to tally up the time each volunteer dedicates so we can inform your school or employer of the hours you volunteered.

DO NOT sign out until the end of the day. If you sign out before you leave the building, we will think you left and will not be able to track you down in case of an emergency.

There is a bulletin board in the office. Please be sure to check it regularly.

In order for a Volunteer Department as large as ours to run smoothly, there are a few very important things to remember:

• You MUST notify the Volunteer Office if you are going to be absent. This is extremely important. The phone number to the Volunteer Office is (718) 581-1404.

• If you are away from your volunteer duties due to illness for three weeks or more, you must have a physician’s note before returning to your volunteering job.

• If you plan on taking a vacation, please let your department and the Volunteer Services Department know as soon as possible so that we can find someone to fill in for you.

Benefits

Dress Code

Safety

Respect

One of the most important philosophies at the Home is treating everyone--residents, staff, volunteers, family, and all others--with respect. Everyone must act in a way that maintains and enhances the dignity and self-worth of those around them. In order to do this, there are a few behaviors we ask the volunteers to follow:

HHAR does not provide personal insurance for volunteers.

The Home's malpractice insurance policy covers volunteers as long as they are doing tasks outlined in their job descriptions.

Time Commitment

As a Hebrew Home Volunteer, you represent and uphold the professional standards of The Hebrew Home for the Aged at Riverdale. The Home offers a service for the local community, and, as a volunteer, you will be in contact with residents, their families and friends, staff, and other volunteers.

In order to ensure that you and the staff, residents and their families get the most benefit from your volunteering experience, we ask that you make a minimum commitment of three hours per week for six months, or, a minimum total of 70 hours. (Other schedules can be arranged with the Director of Volunteer Services.)

The Volunteer Department will provide each new applicant with an Assessment Form to be filled out by their own physician. When the form is returned to the Volunteer Department, the Employee Health Department will assess the form.

Now that you've gotten a sense of some of your responsibilities as a volunteer, let's take some time to review the guidelines:Please remember to SIGN IN when you come in and sign out when you leave. We prefer that you print your name. The sign-in sheet is located in the Volunteer Office on the main floor of the Home. If you volunteer after hours (6:00 p.m. or after) or on weekends, you MUST sign in the volunteer book that is inside a plastic sleeve on the Volunteer office door.
If you are unable to come in at your scheduled time, please call the Volunteer Office or the department to which you are assigned as soon as you know you will not be coming inn. The Volunteer Services' number is 718-581-1404.
If you have a change in your assignment (if you switch your days, time, or job duties), you must contact the Volunteer Services Department.
Always wear your VOLUNTEER UNIFORM and ID BADGE. You will be in very close contact with staff, patients and residents, so it's important to appear professional looking. The idea is to always keep a neat appearance.
Follow the basic guidelines for volunteers in your particular department. Staff members will explain these to you. If you are in doubt about anything, check with staff or with the Director of Volunteer Services. If a problem develops with your assignment, talk to the Director of Volunteer Services about it.
Please address staff, patients and residents as Miss or Mr., unless they request to be called by their first name.
You will be shown how to use a wheelchair. Do not attempt to assist a resident into our out of a wheelchair. Staff is trained in these techniques, and, in order to avoid accidents, we request that only trained staff members handle resident transfers. Always be sure that the brakes on the wheelchair are locked when the chair is not in motion.
Try to adopt a pleasant, calm, quiet, and unhurried manner when you are with a resident. Speak slowly and clearly so the residents can understand you. But do not talk louder than usual unless the patient or resident appears to be hard of hearing.
Do not express shock or disapproval at any seemingly impolite remark from residents. Remember that whatever you may learn about the residents' lives should be considered private information and should not be discussed.

Dos and Don'ts

PLEASE DO:

Check with appropriate personnel if you are in doubt about ANY situation which may arise.
Always have a pleasant, friendly attitude towards staff and residents.
Try to learn the goals and procedures of your department.
Remember that staff members are generally quite busy, and they cannot spend too much time chatting with you.
Keep confidential any conversation or information about residents.
Cooperate with staff members when they ask you to do something. Tell them politely, the reason why you may not be able to do what they ask.
Enjoy your volunteer service and remember that your help is invaluable to the smooth running of The Hebrew Home for the Aged at Riverdale.

PLEASE DON'T:

Ask the resident about very personal matters, such as their illness or family matters.
Take for granted any stories the residents might tell you. Remember that their illness might cause them to be forgetful or unreliable.
Give the residents anything to eat or drink--including water--without permission from a qualified staff member.
Help a resident go from chair to wheelchair, wheelchair to chair, chair to bed, bed to chair--ALWAYS call on an Aide or Nurse.
Discuss your own personal matters with the residents.

Thank you for reading through these guidelines. You are now ready to begin a rewarding experience at the Hebrew Home.