Should I take on this volunteering "offer"? What would it count as?

[Doctoscope]

I recently made a thread about hospice/children's hospital volunteering, which I plan to continue to do over a long time, but the assisted living facility I go to that cares for hospice patients just asked me if I wanted to volunteer through them as well to provide companionship to their older residents/patients (I don't know what to call them... some of them are definitely residents, some of them are definitely hospice patients).

I've read through some other threads, and according to Catalystik and LizzyM, it seems assisted living/nursing home volunteering is a grey area.

It's an assisted living facility that's housed by nurses and caregivers 24/7. I would be responsible for providing companionship (reading and talking to them mostly) for their bed-bound, older residents/patients (>80), who may or may not have Alzheimer's/Dementia/other memory problems (they said they won't know until I get assigned someone). I have seen doctors and other white coats walk in and out of some rooms, though, and the hospice patients I was with were constantly getting breathing treatments and other medical therapies.

I'm definitely leading towards taking on the additional responsibility, since it seems like a very rewarding and meaningful experience, and I want to volunteer most of my time with vulnerable populations, but I just want to know if I'm getting into a clinical or non-clinical role. Thanks for your advice.

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[Goro]

I'm always a fan of getting up close and personal with our mortality. I still view it as clinical.
Let's poll the wise ones:
@Catalystik
@Moko
@gyngyn
@Angus Avagadro
@HomeSkool
@getdown
@lord999
@Doctor-S
@Med Ed

What say you?

 

[Doctoscope]

I'm always a fan of getting up close and personal with our mortality. I still view it as clinical.

I definitely felt that these past few weeks interacting with a hospice patient... it really humbles you (and kind of "scares" you too I guess, interacting with them for the first time).

I just wanted to make sure I wouldn't be listing something non-clinical as clinical. Thank you for your advice!

 

[Doctoscope]

Honestly, I'm not going to overthink this. I'll take up on the offer since I enjoy the activity, and if they assign me to a resident, I'm assuming it'll be non-clinical. If they assign me to a hospice/other type of patient, it'll probably be clinical.

 

[Cornfed101]

Honestly, I'm not going to overthink this. I'll take up on the offer since I enjoy the activity, and if they assign me to a resident, I'm assuming it'll be non-clinical. If they assign me to a hospice/other type of patient, it'll probably be clinical.

If it is something you enjoy doing and that helps a vulnerable population that counts 10x more than doing something meaningless to you in an obviously clinical role.

 

[LizzyM]

If they are there because they have health issues and are considered patients (do they wear ID bands on their wrists, that's a clue) then it is clinical.
If they are there because they need help with instrumental activities of daily living (shopping, laundry, cleaning, cooking, transportation) and this is, in essence, a substitute for having a housekeeper, then call it non-clinical. Either way you are a community volunteer and that is important. I lean toward calling it "non-clnical" if there is any doubt. However, if you have no other "non-clinical" you might try to add something at some point that is unequivocably "non-clinical" (coaching, mentoring kids, literacy volunteer, food-related program for the hungry). You have other clinical so that isn't an issue.

 

[and 99 others]

I recently made a thread about hospice/children's hospital volunteering, which I plan to continue to do over a long time, but the assisted living facility I go to that cares for hospice patients just asked me if I wanted to volunteer through them as well to provide companionship to their older residents/patients (I don't know what to call them... some of them are definitely residents, some of them are definitely hospice patients).

I've read through some other threads, and according to Catalystik and LizzyM, it seems assisted living/nursing home volunteering is a grey area.

It's an assisted living facility that's housed by nurses and caregivers 24/7. I would be responsible for providing companionship (reading and talking to them mostly) for their bed-bound, older residents/patients (>80), who may or may not have Alzheimer's/Dementia/other memory problems (they said they won't know until I get assigned someone). I have seen doctors and other white coats walk in and out of some rooms, though, and the hospice patients I was with were constantly getting breathing treatments and other medical therapies.

I'm definitely leading towards taking on the additional responsibility, since it seems like a very rewarding and meaningful experience, and I want to volunteer most of my time with vulnerable populations, but I just want to know if I'm getting into a clinical or non-clinical role. Thanks for your advice.

I had an activity almost exactly like this except the hospice patients were part of an inpatient unit inside of a hospital. I marked it as clinical and did not have any issues. I also think it was a really great experience personally and although it was not brought up in many interviews, it made for great secondary fodder.

 

[Doctor-S]

... the assisted living facility I go to that cares for hospice patients just asked me if I wanted to volunteer through them as well to provide companionship to their older residents/patients (I don't know what to call them... some of them are definitely residents, some of them are definitely hospice patients).

It's an assisted living facility that's housed by nurses and caregivers 24/7. I would be responsible for providing companionship (reading and talking to them mostly) for their bed-bound, older residents/patients (>80), who may or may not have Alzheimer's/Dementia/other memory problems (they said they won't know until I get assigned someone). I have seen doctors and other white coats walk in and out of some rooms, though, and the hospice patients I was with were constantly getting breathing treatments and other medical therapies.

I'm definitely leading towards taking on the additional responsibility, since it seems like a very rewarding and meaningful experience, and I want to volunteer most of my time with vulnerable populations, but I just want to know if I'm getting into a clinical or non-clinical role. Thanks for your advice.

My initial thoughts:

If an individual is ailing (e.g., pneumonia), or ill (e.g., hospice care), or injured (e.g., recovering from TBI), or infirm (e.g., dementia), those are "clinical" hours in connection with a patient - especially if the individual is identified as a "patient." If they're identified solely as a resident, and not ailing, ill, injured, or infirm, and you're reading a book to them, those are non-clinical hours - unless otherwise indicated.

No matter what ... you are to be commended for volunteering with patients and/or residents of the assisted living facility - good work!