Does your organization use volunteers to do housekeeping duties?

[Marcia Good]

If so, is it part of providing caregiver relief or does it have it's own job description? Currently our volunteers provide emotional support in a variety of ways but only do light housekeeping as part of care giver relief. For example, they may wash a sink of dishes or take out the garbage while staying with the patient. Our nursing staff is hoping we create Housekeeping as a Volunteer job description/role. I'm hesitant because it seems to duplicate what currently exists in the home health aides' job descriptions. I feel it's important to preserve the niche volunteers serve of providing presence, companionship, socialization, etc. Your thoughts?

[MJ Schaumann]

Marcia,
We do not specifically ask volunteers to perform housekeeping tasks. However, what I discuss with them during training is that when they are assigned to a patient and family, and if they are with them for an extended amount of time, I leave it to their judgement to decide if there is something they feel they would be helpful such as doing laundry, the dishes, etc. I have found this to be successful since the volunteering is assessing and deciding how their time with their family is best used.

Hope this helps.

Mary Jane