Hospitals can often feel isolating, especially for older patients who may lack regular visitors. Recognizing this need, the Samuel Steinberg Family Foundation generously established the Care Companion Program at the Geriatrics Special Care unit in Santa Monica. This impactful initiative relies on dedicated volunteers to offer personalized companionship to elderly patients during their hospital stay.
These carefully trained care companions play a vital role in enriching the patient experience. Their activities are diverse and tailored to individual needs, ranging from engaging in stimulating conversations and reading aloud to playing games and providing gentle assistance with meals. Under the supervision of nursing staff, volunteers may also accompany patients for short walks, offering mobility support and a change of scenery. The core mission of the Care Companion Program is to improve patient orientation, promote calmness, and uplift mood through structured and meaningful volunteer interactions.
The program operates continuously, 7 days a week, 365 days a year, from 7 am to 11 pm, providing remarkable flexibility for volunteers. Using an online scheduling system, volunteers can easily select shifts that fit their availability, with a minimum commitment of 4 hours per week and a maximum of 6 hours per day. Volunteers who dedicate 150 hours to the program are eligible for a letter of recommendation, recognizing their significant contribution.
The onboarding process for the Care Companion Program is designed to ensure volunteers are well-prepared and confident in their roles. After an initial application acceptance, prospective volunteers complete online training modules and submit necessary health records. This online phase is followed by an essential in-person orientation held at the UCLA Santa Monica Medical Center. This orientation provides crucial hands-on training covering vital topics such as isolation precautions, understanding delirium and dementia in geriatric patients, effective communication techniques for interacting with elderly individuals, and practical feeding assistance training.
Volunteering in the Care Companion Program is open to anyone over the age of 18 who is passionate about making a difference in the lives of others. A minimum commitment of 150 hours ensures program continuity and meaningful patient relationships. If you are interested in contributing to patient comfort and recovery, we encourage you to apply through the following link and become a care companion volunteer today: volunteer.uclahealth.org/custom/527/opp_details/4135
For further information about the Care Companion Program or the volunteer application process, please do not hesitate to contact Jagrup Kaur via email at [email protected]. Join us in providing comfort and support to patients through the valuable Care Companion Program.
