Tips & Tricks

Volunteering at a Nursing Home: How can you help the Elderly?

Ariel Luy

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Sep 13, 22

Are you looking to Volunteer at a Nursing Home? 

If you’re looking for opportunities to volunteer at a nursing home or assisted living facility, you might be intimidated and question if there are ways you could help and make an impact in caring for the elderly. 

However, there are so many ways to volunteer at a nursing home and help the elderly. This blog post is created to share potential ways to volunteer and bring value to a nursing home.

Provide Companionship

Oftentimes, providing companionship can be one of the biggest aids in a nursing home. Since residents live away from their friends and family, it can be a lonely environment. Befriending the elderly, spending quality time with them, and engaging in meaningful conversations or activities are all great ways to volunteer your time. 

If you have special skills or talents, you can share these too. For example, you could read aloud, give manicures, or play music. Providing care and music are both therapeutic experiences that residents will love. Something small like a manicure will make a resident feel beautiful and cared for. Music is uplifting and can bring people together! Ask the residents around you if they have any song requests or recommendations too! 

Help with Nursing Home Activities

Helping out with nursing home activities is another great way to volunteer. You can assist with exercise classes, arts and crafts projects, or outings. This way, you’ll not only be helping individual residents but also making the nursing home a fun and stimulating place for everyone.

Most nursing homes or assisted living facilities schedule activities that will require help with planning, setting up, decorating, and tearing down. You could help prepare the snacks and activities or even come after the event to help clean up the facility. 

Whatever capacity you can help is a tremendous help for the nursing home or assisted living facility! 

Volunteering Makes a Huge Difference

Simply providing companionship can be a tremendous help to nursing home residents. Spending time with someone who is feeling lonesome can make a real difference in their quality of life. Just sitting and talking, or going for a walk together, can be a valuable experience for both of you.

If you’re interested in volunteering at a nursing home, contact the facility staff and ask about opportunities. They will be able to match you with activities that suit your skills and interests. Don’t hesitate to give back – the nursing home residents will be glad you did!



Ariel Luy

Hi there! My name is Ariel Luy and I am the Content Creator and Social Media Coordinator for Labels to Last. I graduated from Liberty University in 2021 with a Bachelors of Science in Strategic Communications and Social Media Management. I am a Wa...

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