The Hospital Elder Life Program (HELP) at Grand River Hospital is a specialized volunteer program that support older adults during their hospital stay. Volunteers enhance patient experience and help prevent patients from developing delirium by engaging in friendly visiting, offering activities like word puzzles or board games that keep the brain active, encouraging walking and gentle range of motion exercise, providing meal assistance and promoting healthy sleep routines and options for relaxation techniques. It is a particularly great volunteer opportunity for those who are pursuing a career in health care, but anyone 18 years old or older who is compassionate, reliable and can work independently is welcome!

Program Specific Volunteer Requirements: 

• Be at least 18 years of age and provide a Vulnerable Sector Check
• Complete an additional 16 hrs of training beyond our standard volunteer orientation
• Available for a regular 3-4 hour volunteer shift each week during daytime hours (Monday - Saturday between the hours of 10 a.m. and 7 p.m.)
• Be able to commit to volunteering with HELP for a minimum of six months

If you would like to join our volunteer team and be a part of the HELP program, visit grandvolunteer.ca to register! You can also learn more about the incredible benefits of HELP in this great article shared with us by Grand River’s Elder Life Specialist and HELP program manager.

About the Hospital Elder Life Program

The Hospital Elder Life Program (HELP) is an innovative delirium prevention program designed to improve the hospital experience for older adults. Developed in 1999 by Dr. Sharon Inouye and her colleagues at the Yale School of Medicine, HELP is now the leading delirium prevention program in hospitals across the globe.