You are not alone in the frustration you feel as thousands of nursing home CEO's, administrators, executive directors, and others are searching for ways to attract new workers to the field of long-term care while simultaneously facing increasing pressure to provide personalized, individualized care. This is no small challenge in a society with deeply embedded negative stereotypes surrounding nursing homes. But there is some relief. In Creating a Volun-Cheer Force, Dr. Falkowski spells out how you can create a robust volunteer program supported by evidenced-based research that will act as a conduit for attracting new workers while undoing the negative stereotypes associated with aging and long-term care. In addition, your robust volunteer program will be made up of what Dr. Falkowski terms "Super" volunteers. These highly committed and passionate individuals understand and with training deliver "person-centered" attention to the people under your care; going on to become recruiters for you as well. The end result is a well-integrated team of people providing great care in your community and a valuable asset to your professional caregivers. While Creating a Volun-Cheer Force targets people in leadership, everyone working in the field of long-term care will benefit from reading this book. Dr. Falkowski presents his own remarkable experiences working with "Super" volunteers, sharing their heartfelt stories that reveal how deeply their lives were impacted and how their perceptions of the nursing home changed. In addition, he presents current examples of exemplary volunteer programs that are producing "Super" volunteers. They prove that it can be done and done well! Dr. Falkowski believes it is time for you to discover the difference a robust volunteer program can make in your nursing home. By reading Creating a Volun-Cheer Force it is his sincere hope that you will find the evidence and inspiration to make this a reality in your long-term care community!
