Foothills Medical Centre

The Hospital Elder Life Program (HELP) volunteers make sure that older adults receive the special consideration and attention they need to get the best results from their hospital stay. HELP is a patient care program that helps prevent delirium and functional decline in older hospitalized patients by providing support to keep the patient comfortable and conducting activities to keep them mentally and physically active. Volunteers play a crucial and central role in this program by carrying out program interventions directly at the bedside. This program gives volunteers a level of patient contact and responsibility that is unique amongst hospital programs.

The training provided through our program will provide all the necessary skills to serve as a HELP volunteer. Volunteers are required to attend a general AHS volunteer orientation in addition to a three hour HELP orientation. Following orientation, each volunteer is paired with an experienced volunteer or HELP staff member for continued training and demonstration on the hospital unit.

Volunteers must be able to commit to a regular weekly shift of 4 hours for a minimum of one year.

Shifts are Monday through Sunday:

8:30am to 12:30pm, 12:30pm to 4:30pm or 4:30pm to 8:30pm