ESC: Volunteering at a Nursing Home for Elderly People

Rum is a market town with approx. 9,500 inhabitants located in the metropolitan area of ​​the Tyrolean capital Innsbruck. This Tyrolean community offers both an extensive infrastructure and proximity to the Tyrolean mountains. There are many cultural and sporting activities and events in the vicinity. The nursing home Das Soziale Kompetenzzentrum Rum takes care of seniors and dependent persons on the basis of short- and long-term care. For this purpose, the town of Rum has created a special housing complex that consists of 69 single rooms and 13 barrier-free rooms for the elderly. This modern facility with its excellent infrastructure is a wonderful place that offers its residents peace and quiet. The guiding principle of this home is “You will be well taken care of”. The residents with their autonomy and individual personalities are the focus of our facility. The team does their best in order to provide the best conditions for the elderly and at the same time they take into consideration the residents’ individual needs and their life stories. It is very important to take care of not only the body but also the spirit and mind of our residents. Mutual respect and responsibility are the basic elements of the philosophy. Other values that are of great importance are: understanding, engagement, professionalism, reliability, equity and clarity. Every resident has at disposal their own room with a bathroom and a balcony or a terrace. In 3 different living areas there are common rooms for the residents, where they can spend time with each other. Furthermore, the residents can have a cup of coffee in the café, take advantage of different therapy rooms, take a walk to a nearby garden or simply enjoy the sun on one of our two terraces. The residents are encouraged to spend their time on many activities that are organized by the nursing team, either inside or outside. The tasks of the co-workers involve taking care of the elderly during their day-to-day activities but also supporting them in their free time. The nursing staff provides a lot of interesting activities for the residents like trips, creative workshops, dancing, memory trainings, gaming afternoons, bowling and many more. It is very important to provide the residents a lot of stimulating opportunities that take into consideration their individual interests and needs. The volunteer’s work takes place in the living areas of the 3 nursing home groups, in the group rooms, in the residential café and in the outdoor area/garden. The volunteer accompanies the residents under instruction in their daily life individually and in group settings.