NATIONAL ASSOCIATION OF LONG-TERM CARE VOLUNTEERS

Organization Overview
Introduction
The NALTCV provides the platform for training, monitoring, and various volunteer efforts in long-term care, advocating for increased volunteer engagement in long-term care and researching and reporting the efficacy of volunteers to impact long-term care operations. Following is a description of each leg of the NALTCV
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Education/Training
>>>>Volunteer Training
Currently, the training provided to volunteers is uneven from one long-term care provider to the next. Larger operations may have the budget to support full-time managers of volunteers. As a result, they are likely to provide training that properly equips the volunteer for their role, while other long-term care providers offer little or no training or oversight of the volunteers. While complying with current Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) regulations/policies, minimum training requirements are needed to provide a standardized primary menu of topic areas that would give the volunteer a basic understanding of aging, the aging process, their role, and the operations of the long-term care community.

Topic areas for this initial level of training to consider include:
•Scoping Out the Landscape - What is happening in the U.S. (context for the volunteer)
•Ageism and Negative Stereotypes – addresses common misconceptions and biases
•Living in a Care Community – answers the questions: “What is a day in life of a person living in long-term care like? Who are all of these people, and what are they doing?”
•The Role of a “Companion” Volunteer – Presents the five attributes of a “companion” volunteer.
•Diversity, Equity and Inclusion in Long-Term Care – creating an inclusive and welcoming environment
•“Someone Just for Me” – just having a lot of people around doesn’t necessarily address loneliness. People need to experience “authentic” relationships.
•Words and Beyond Words – Basic communication techniques and approaches for people with limited communications.
•Compassionate Connections – orientation for visiting people living with dementia.
•HIPAA/Resident Rights – The volunteer’s responsibility is to adhere to privacy regulations and identify violations of the residents’ rights. (not to replace ombudsman)
•Accountability – volunteers as committed team members supporting staff, e.g., observing local policies, being dependable, complying with staff requests
•Other generalized topics that would apply to all long-term care volunteers

>>>>>Staff training
In addition to providing foundational training for the volunteer, the NALTCV will offer long-term care staff training focused on understanding the role and value of volunteers.

Topic areas for staff training include but are not limited to:
•Recognizing volunteers as valuable team members
•Identifying areas of volunteer support
•Providing meaningful feedback to volunteers
•Other topics related to staff/volunteer relationships

>>>>>Specialized training
Research indicates that volunteers want to grow in their experience. Therefore, they want quality ongoing training. With that in mind, various specialized training is offered to increase their skill set.

Topic areas for specialized skills would include:
•Nonpharmacological interventions such as:
>>Music
>>Art
>>Dance
>>Drama
>>Validation therapy
>>Supportive conversation for aphasia (SCA)
>>Other techniques and approaches (the list of possibilities is extensive)
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Resources
The NALTCV would identify and provide access to resources relevant to the volunteer experience, such as written materials, e.g., books, articles, blogs, webinars, workshops, and conferences. In addition, social media platforms would provide spaces for volunteers to communicate and share their experiences and ideas.
Volunteer Opportunity Coordination

The NALTCV would identify, coordinate, and promote various volunteer programs serving long-term care communities. This would include such organizations as:
•Music and Memory
•Reading2Connect
•Youth Engaging Seniors (YES)
•Sage Stream
•Timeslips
•Skits for Seniors
•Pet Therapy
•And many others! (The list is extensive)
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Advocacy
NALTCV advocates for robust volunteer programs managed by professionals having earned a certification in volunteer administration (CVA).
Volunteers are used extensively in healthcare settings such as hospitals, palliative, and hospice care. While governing regulations require long-term care communities to provide activities for the people living in their communities, volunteer recruiting and training vary widely from one long-term care community to another. NALTCV would work to provide a standardized template for creating long-term care volunteer programs.

Research shows that volunteers benefit the people living and working in long-term care communities and benefit the volunteers themselves. For example, ageism and ageist thinking is deeply embedded in our society. Long-term care volunteers report significant paradigm shifts in their attitudes towards older adults, the people working in long-term care communities, their personal views on life, and their interactions with family and friends.

In addition, people working in the long-term care communities report gaining an uplift witnessing their residents having positive interactions with volunteers and experiencing fewer calls for help, freeing staff to meet more pressing resident needs.

Finally, volunteers witnessing and experiencing the life and operations of long-term care may be inspired to enter the field of aging as a long-term care worker. Volunteer programs are conduits for attracting new workers.
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Research
Numerous studies and research articles address the efficacy of volunteers in impacting the quality of care and quality of life in palliative, hospice, and hospital settings, but little of that research addresses the impact volunteers have in long-term care communities. The NALTCV would work to provide evidence-based results of volunteer efforts. In addition to other benefits, this evidence would help inform long-term care operators about the return on their investment in their volunteer workforce.
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Business Development and Relations
Of course, none of this can happen without funding. Therefore, the first order of business is to identify funding and income-producing opportunities to support the work of the NALTCV. This leg of NALTCV would interact with foundations and other interested individuals and businesses, including the owners/operators of long-term care communities.