Most residents in nursing homes are Medicaid recipients. That means that they are only given $40 a month for a personal needs allowance. That money has to go toward haircuts, snacks, tissues and toiletries, and any other needs they have. Here are some ways we help.
We have helped residents have a merrier Christmas for several years now and through a variety of methods. Jingle Bags are gift bags filled with general items like socks, tissue, shampoo, lotion, pudding cups, soft candy, notepads and pens, etc. For some care homes, we have worked to be sure each resident fills out a specific wish list. Volunteers then shop for and wrap the gifts.
These are like Jingle Bags, only in the summer or fall. If we are giving bags to the same residents who received Jingle Bags, we try to put a few different things inside. For example, if residents received shampoo at Christmas, we put lotion in these bags. Other items we have included are nail polish, playing cards, coloring books and colored pencils, magazines, and hairbrushes.
In the early days of our volunteering in nursing homes, residents would hand us money and ask us to go to the store for them and purchase things like deodorant or lotion. We were completely shocked. That's when we learned about the $40 a month personal needs allowance. (In some states, that number is higher.)
Residents are provided toiletries like shampoo and lotion, but they are products from a central supplier for hospitals and nursing facilities--meaning, they aren't retail brands that residents are familiar with. They don't have the same pleasant smell or appearance of brands the residents would choose for themselves. If a resident would prefes a different brand, they have to purchase it themselves. Also, we've noticed that some facilities run out of these basic things. We get frequent requests for these products, especially for residents who do not have family to bring them in for them.
One of our very first projects was "Socktober." We provided non-skid socks for residents and passed them out with a little note of encouragement attached. Since then, we make sure we always include socks in every bag we give a resident.
(Shout out to our local TJ Maxx for the awesome donation in the photo!)
Haircuts inside the nursing home are usually provided by a stylist who is like an independent contractor who sets his or her own prices. Sometimes facilities get lucky and find a retired stylist who will offer services for a much lower price, but that is typically not the case. We assist with those fees when we can and have even taken a group of residents to a salon for an outing!
Another common request is for electric razors. Most facilities will not allow razors that are anything but electric out of safety concerns. Often, electric razors get dropped or lost. We replace them frequently.
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Faithful Friends Kentucky is a charitable organization 501(c)(3) incorporated in the state of Kentucky.
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