HELP at Griffin Hospital in Derby is seeking volunteer help

Volunteers sought for program to assist older patients at Griffin Hospital./ Contributed photo

DERBY - The Hospital Elder Life Program at Griffin Hospital, 130 Division St., is looking for volunteers to provide additional support for elderly patients.

HELP is designed to offer special services to older adults hospitalized at Griffin. Research shows between 30 and 50 percent of seniors can experience a decline in their physical and cognitive abilities during a hospital stay.

HELP is a comprehensive, evidence based, patient-care program that provides various volunteer interventions such as meal time assistance, friendly visits, activities, walking and exercise to help patients maintain their optional level of functioning. 

HELP team members work in partnership with the doctors and nursing staff to highlight issues specific to geriatric care and to provide education to patients and their families.

Training and supervision will be provided. No previous medical experience is required. Volunteers have a choice of working various weekday shifts between 8 a.m. and 8 p.m. Scholarship incentives are also available for eligible college students.

The next HELP training is scheduled to begin in the fall. 

To learn more about this important program or to become a HELP volunteer, call Laura Murphy, 203-732-7466.

This is a press release from Griffin Hospital.

Griffin Hospital in Derby seeks volunteers to support elderly patients

Volunteers needed to aid geriatric patients at Griffin Hospital./ Submitted photo

DERBY - The Hospital Elder Life Program (HELP) at Griffin Hospital, 130 Division St.,is looking for volunteers to provide extra support for elderly patients.

HELP is designed to offer special services to older adults while hospitalized at Griffin Hospital. Between 30 and 50 percent of all seniors may experience a decline in their physical and mental abilities during a hospital stay. 

HELP is a comprehensive, evidence-based, patient-care program that provides optimal care for older persons in the hospital.

The program also prevents functional decline, falls, and allows older adults to return home at the maximal level of independence by keeping hospitalized older people oriented to their surroundings, meeting their needs for nutrition, fluids, and sleep, and keeping them mobile within the limitations of their physical condition.

HELP team members work in partnership with the doctors and nursing staff to highlight issues specific to geriatric care and to provide education to patients and their families. 
No medical experience is needed to volunteer. Training and supervision is provided. 

There are flexible shifts from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m., seven days a week. Scholarship incentives are available for eligible college students.

For information, or to volunteer for HELP, call 203-732-7466.


This is a press release from Griffin Hospital.

Parenting parents is topic of discussion slated at center in Sandy Hook

Derby-based New England Young at Heart, a service network, and Old Glory Days, an adult day care center in Sandy Hook, will co-host “Becoming Your Parent’s Parent” panel discussion from 5:30-7 p.m. March 8.

The event will inform caregivers and pre-caregivers about what resources are available to them in their community. The panel will also discuss how caregivers can find balance in their lives, and the importance of taking care of themselves. 
Geriatric care management will be presented by Karen Thorpe, LMSW, owner, Elder Care Connections; and "Empowering the Caregiver: A Legal Perspective," presented by Ann Fowler-Cruz, elder law attorney from Cohen and  Wolf, P.C.

This free event will be held at Old Glory Days, 107 Church Hill Road, Sandy Hook.

To register, go to https://www.eventbrite.com/e/becoming-your-parents-parent-tickets-21439870229.
For more information call Elaine, 203-887-5047 or Emily, 203-648-5983.

This is a press release from New England Young at Heart.

Griffin Hospital in Derby offers support to caregivers dealing with dementia

Dr. Lionel Lim, director, Griffin Faculty Physician’s Geriatric Assessment Center, will kick off a series of monthly talks for family caregivers of a loved one with dementia Sept. 8 at Griffin Hospital in Derby. / Submitted photo

DERBY - Griffin Hospital and the Alzheimer’s Association Connecticut Chapter will host a series of monthly talks for family caregivers of a loved one with dementia starting Sept 8.

“This series will provide valuable information, resources and support for those caring for a person with Alzheimer's disease and other types of dementia,” said Maria Tomasetti, South Central Regional Director of the Alzheimer’s Association Connecticut Chapter. “The program will help caregivers to more effectively adjust care plans as their loved one’s care needs change.”

The Family Caregiver Series will start with a presentation and Q&A by Dr. Lionel Lim, director of Griffin Faculty Physician’s Geriatric Assessment Center, from 5:30-8 p.m. Sept. 8 at Griffin Hospital, 130 Division St.

Lim will discuss diagnosing dementia, treatments and research. Tomasetti will also review the Alzheimer's Association's programs and services.

On Oct. 6, Tomasetti will present communication tips and effective strategies for handling behavioral challenges.  These tools can help caregivers make quality connections with people with dementia and maximize the quality of life for their loved ones.  

On Nov. 10, a panel of health care professionals will review how caregivers can take care of their own physical and mental well-being as well as community resources and family dynamics.  

On Dec. 8, Elder Law Attorney Judith Hoberman, of Shedd and Hoberman, LLC in Hamden, will discuss the financial and legal issues involved with caring for a person with dementia, including power of attorney, health care representative, advanced directives, and conservatorship as well as funding sources for long-term care, especially Title XIX.

All talks will be from 5:30-8 p.m. in the Griffin Hospital Dining Room. Dinner will be served at 5:30 p.m. The presentations will start at 6 p.m.

Space is limited and registration is required for each talk. To register, call 203-732-1511 or visit the event calendar at griffinhealth.org

This is a press release from Griffin Hospital.