Do you have a loved one living in a skilled nursing facility like Christian Health Care Center in Lynden?
CHCC gets a lot of family visitors, and many of them aren’t quite sure how to interact with their loved one, other long-term care residents and even staff so we’re sharing three quick tips.
Personal visits:
Every day, we see how our residents’ faces light up at the sight of a daughter, grandson or special friend! Schedule a visit to socialize with your loved one. Share some cookies (please ask nursing staff ahead of time if there are dietary restrictions), read a book out loud, help them write letters to family members, take them for a stroll in the courtyard or spend time reminiscing.
Share talents:
Christian Health Care Center benefits from the support of volunteers in a variety of areas. You can spend time with your loved one while also brightening the days of other residents at CHCC by volunteering in our facility. Ask to speak with CHCC’s volunteer coordinator about any of these opportunities:
- Are you a singer or piano player? We’re always looking for people to play live music sessions.
- Do you enjoy crafts? Sign up as a craft leader to help long-term care residents with various hand-mind activities.
- Do you have a pet who is social and calm? Talk to a therapeutic recreation staff member about bringing your dog, cat or other pet by the facility to share some special snuggle time with residents.
- Have you gone on an interesting vacation lately? Our residents would love to see a slideshow presentation of your pictures and stories from the trip.
Communicate with the staff:
When you visit, it’s a good idea to stop by the nursing station to check in before heading to your loved one’s room. The more you know about how they are doing — physically and emotionally — the better equipped you’ll be to spend time with them on any given day.
Note: Remember to be respectful of long-term care staff members’ time. Our nurses and nursing assistants, for example, are quite busy taking care of residents. They are happy to greet friends and family of our residents who are visiting, but they do need to keep moving and attending to those under our care.
With a bit of planning and understanding, visiting your loved one in long-term care can be a meaningful activity you can build into your regular schedule.
To schedule a visit, please visit our Visitation page.