Volunteer service to carry invalids out of the house?

Factual Questions
1

Hi, all. A friend of mine is fighting cancer, and is currently going through radiation therapy. She weakened now, to the point that she can barely move by herself. She is, thusly, bed and wheel chair bound.

She wants nothing but to be able to get out. She’s a fighter, and is fighting hard, but it’s greatly disconcerting to her that she spends 24/7 in the house, in bed.

We’ve tried to locate some sort of service of volunteers who go to the homes of invalids and immobile patients, and will carry them out of the house to the car, take them out, take them from the car to the wheel chair, etc. We’ve had no luck at all as to finding such an organization. I’m sure one must exist! But so far, the police, fire dept., and some hospitals in the area have been no help at all.

She lives on Long Island, NY. Her town is Holbrook, in Suffolk County. Anybody have any leads or ideas that I can try following up? Thanks!

2

Thanks for caring about your friend.

I work in the health care field and I think the problem of not being able to find such a group may be one of liability. IANAL (I am not a lawyer), but if she is totally unable to move on her own and wants to get out then that places a risk on whoever moves her if they should happen to let her fall, and this is why I believe you have had no luck so far.

However, if you could find a sympathetic attorney and have him draw up a waiver absolving anyone of this type of accident should it happen, you might have a better chance. I believe people are basically good and want to help, but they are afraid of litigation.

Have you tried a local church or scouting organization? Also, I think this might be a worthwhile effort for a health club to become involved in, and it would be great publicity for them.

I wish you the best of luck in helping your friend, welcome to the board and keep us advised.

Quasi

3

… that someone more qualified than me can help/answer this person, so I’m giving it the gentle nudge I feel it deserves.

nudge

Quasi

4

You might try the nursing department of your local college or university. I don’t know the rules there, but at my school, we were required to do many hours of community service to obtain our degrees. We ran blood pressure clinics, led exercise and recreation programs at nursing homes and adult day cares, and other stuff. I bet a couple of nursing students would be pleased to help, whether they got school credit or not. (Another option would be the physical therapy department.) People go into this line of work because they truly care and love to help.

Does your friend receive home health services? If so, ask the nurse to help you find the resources. (If not, call a home health agency and ask them if they have any ideas. They will almost certainly be willing to help.) Home health agencies rely heavily on social workers, who know every program in the area and can get your friend hooked up.

And how about you? Moving a bedbound person is no easy task if you don’t know how, but if you know someone in the healthcare field- a nurse, nurses’ aide, paramedic, x-ray tech, physical therapist, or whatever- maybe you can enlist that person’s help. If not, maybe that person can give you a few lessons on body mechanics so you can learn to move your friend without injuring either of you. (It’s not about strength; it’s about using leverage.)

A support group for cancer patients and their families would also be a good resource. I imagine many people have faced this same problem, and found a solution they’d be happy to share with you. A call to the hospital social worker should get you in touch with a support group.

If your friend is a member of a church, perhaps this would be a good source of volunteers.

I’d also check with your friend’s doctor before taking her anywhere. Cancer patients have weak immune systems, and exposure to the germs out there “in the world” could make her very sick. Perhaps, if risk of infection is a problem, the doctor would give his blessing if your friend wore a hospital mask out when in public. (Let people stare.)

It’s wonderful that you care so much for your friend. Getting out and about can give her more hope and strength, helping her to keep her spirits and fight her illness. If she does lose her battle, she will have spent good and happy times with a special friend.

5

Lots of good ideas so far… here are a couple more to consider. Despite the conotations, Hospice is geared to deal voluntarily with friends such as yours.

I live in very small community, we all depend on each other, one of the best aspects of such a life. A popular service business around here is Doula service, primarily meant to assist new mothers, however, they have the training and experience in dealing with homebound folks. Look for them in the yellow pages or call a local mid-wife.

If finances are a problem and time is hard to find to personally assist your friend, rally folks in the same boat to hire help for them, taking turns paying. Even volunteer organizations would love to be paid/donated to, to help cover the costs.