“CREATING THE VOLUN-CHEER FORCE”
Rethinkng the way we use volunteers in long-term care
MOST LONG-TERM CARE COMMUNITIES,
are facing the mounting pressures of short staffing while feeling challenged to provide more personalized care. What if there was an untapped resource that could offer you relief while attracting workers and boosting your ability to provide better-individualized care? With 26 years of recruiting and training hundreds of volunteers, Dr. Paul Falkowski shares his experiences, expertise, research, and examples of what he calls “SUPER” volunteers–people who are highly committed, passionate, self-starters looking for meaningful ways to give back to their communities.
IN THIS BOOK, YOU WILL DISCOVER:
The substantial potential for strong volunteer teams to improve your star rating.
Why the “Five Excuses” that everyone comes up with to pooh-pooh volunteers are just that—excuses.
Supporting research that reveals people want to be trained to serve others.
Examples of long-term care communities that are reaping the benefits of a strong “Volun-Cheer-Force.”
How to rethink the way you view volunteers and the inspiration to take the lead in creating a super Volun-Cheer Force!
After more than 25 years of recruiting and training volunteers for nursing homes, and after witnessing first-hand great volunteer programs making such a huge difference in the quality of care and the quality of life of the people for whom they care, I wanted to share my experiences and expertise with you. My hope is that this book will encourage you to take a very hard look at your volunteer program as a potential resource for not only for the people for whom you care but for your professional staff as well.
Our cities and towns are filled with great people who if given the opportunity and training can become a real asset to your long-term community. I’ve shared personal experiences as well as evidence-based research that supports the need for making a serious investment in your volunteer program.
For the foreseeable future, the numbers of people looking for long-term care will increase dramatically. With that in mind, every available resource for providing care should be explored and exploited!
Get your copy of Creating a Volun-Cheer Force today at
Book Endorsements
This book is a good read for volunteer managers who work in senior care, administrators who oversee decision making in senior care, those who may be interested in a career in senior care, those who want to promote volunteer programs within senior care, families who want to advocate for more engagement for their loved ones in a nursing home, students exploring career paths in volunteer management and volunteer managers who want a new perspective.
Corina Sadler, CVA, Volunteer Resources Supervisor at City of Plano, Texas
Let me congratulate you on an absolutely fantastic book! Informative, well researched, beautifully executed, and extremely heartfelt. Everything a good volunteer program should be. I loved reading it from cover to cover!
Janis Sternhill, M.Ed., Director, Volunteer Services, Baycrest Health Sciences
Thoroughly researched, yet personal and practical, Volun-Cheer Force is a much-needed book for everyone who longs to see staff, residents and volunteers in nursing homes work together and flourish. I’ve known Paul for almost 20 years, and I’ve never met anyone more passionate about raising up volunteers to engage with older adults. Do yourself and your organization a favor and read this book!”
Amy Hanson, Ph.D., amyhanson.org, author of Baby Boomers and Beyond: Tapping the Ministry Talents and Passions of Adults over 50.
“Creating a Volun-Cheer-Force” is an uplifting take on the serious issue of care for older adults in American nursing homes. The author skillfully blends empirical evidence with powerful anecdotes to tell the story of challenges and opportunities for changing this plight. His heartfelt passion and purpose is clearly conveyed; it engages the reader in a thought-provoking, solutions-focused imagining of why and how to maximize human capital in the form of volunteers. The author creates a convincing case that “super volunteers” are undoubtedly a part of the solution to the escalating long-term care crisis. You will be left motivated and determined to create a volunteer program in your facility that adheres to the author’s how-to suggestions and confronts the tempting “excuses” of not doing so. The return on investment of a “super volun-cheer-force” is undeniable. This is a must-read for all nursing home administrators!
Nancy Kelley, Ph.D., Professor, University of Nebraska at Omaha, Grace Abbott School of Social Work
Amazing work Paul. I love the book.
Silvester Juanes, LHNA, ALFA, Executive Director, Azria Health