1.2.19 Visiting service

Aim and purpose

Offering personal contact, care and sympathy over and above the direct institutional services provided by the hospital. The visiting service is independent and voluntary. It is based on the rules of the visiting service as set out in the Caritas Conferences e.V. regulations The visiting service does not compete with the medical or nursing service. It only takes on the tasks that private visitors could also perform for other patients. The visiting service is not itself part of the hospital, but must have a tangible relationship with the facility. These are described here.

Application

The visiting service is offered to every patient in the hospital by simply approaching them. The visiting service can also be approached directly by patients. Doctors and nursing staff can refer patients to the visiting service. A notice with contact details (telephone number and name of contact person) should be displayed on the ward notice board.

Description

General information

Most hospitals have a visiting service. It is called different things depending on its history and organizational background. It is often called "The Green Ladies" because the participants (mostly ladies) wear a green coat to distinguish themselves from the nurses. Other names are: "pink ladies", "green angels", hospitesses. The members are women of different denominations who have agreed to do voluntary social work in the hospital out of Christian conviction. The visiting service is independent of the hospital. However, it is integrated into the hospital organization via (different models)

• the social service
• the hospital chaplaincy
• own supporting association

Activities

The scope of the activities should be described in more detail by the visiting service. Not all assistance can or must be provided. Examples are given here:

• Care and attention for the needs and hardships of patients.
• Offering help and small services that are needed during a hospital stay, e.g. getting newspapers, telephone calls to relatives,
• Explanation of hospital services such as kiosk, hairdresser, accommodation options for relatives
• Provision of refreshments or cosmetics,
• Procurement of personal items such as bathrobe, pyjamas, slippers, toothbrush
• Reading aloud or writing letters,
• Accompaniment on a walk in the corridor or in the garden in good weather.
• Issue of books from the hospital library
• An escort service (pilot service) in the hospital is also often requested, especially during admission.
• Assistance in preparing for discharge

Providing such assistance often leads to a conversation in which the patient's worries and fears can be shared. By actively listening, patients are given the opportunity to talk about what moves and burdens them and what they may not want to talk about with their relatives.

Rules for the activity

The members of the service

• are informed about the duty of confidentiality and the consequences of a breach of duty.
• must refrain from any criticism of treatments or medical advice. In the event of conflicts, reference must be made to the complaints procedure.
• should regularly take part in the team meetings of the visiting service
• are assigned to specific areas (wards) and are expected to maintain their visiting activities according to a long-term plan
• are registered by the HR department for accident insurance with personal data
• (are examined by the company doctor before starting work)
• receive an ID card with photo
• wear a clearly legible name tag on their coat or clothing
• first report to the ward or shift manager on arrival and ask whether patients have expressed a wish to be visited.
• enter homes on behalf of patients only in the presence of witnesses, if possible designated by the patients themselves, e.g. neighbors, janitors or similar. Home visits should be limited to the most urgent cases. However, requests for such assistance are not uncommon and are difficult to refuse, e.g. if pets need to be looked after, the heating turned off or the post collected

Announcement of the service, contact

Notice on the notice board Leaflet that may be handed out on admission Telephone line with answering machine

Recruitment of new members

Interest in joining can be aroused among former nursing staff, through personal conversations with acquaintances and at hospital events (open day, summer party, Christmas parties). A meeting point is set up at the Frechen Seniors' Day, where new members are recruited.

Termination of participation in the visiting service

In the event of personal misjudgement or excessive demands, or in the event of a breach of the house rules or obligations arising from the visiting service, the team should first recommend a voluntary waiver of participation in the visiting service. In the event of non-compliance, the managing director must issue a ban from the house.

Documentation

Attendance list for team meetings Employee sheet for the HR department Ward distribution plan Duty log

Resources

Common room: Room of the hospital library Clothes room (in the basement of the annex building) Telephone Solidarity contribution for the sponsoring organization Printing flyers, notice board Budget for travel costs, meals Insurance via the hospital's BG insurance or the umbrella organization of the visiting service

Responsibility, qualification

The members of the visiting service are assigned to individual wards according to a distribution plan, where they are introduced and briefed. A duty rota is drawn up. The members are carefully trained, informed about the principles of the service and accompanied by an experienced member during the initial period (approx. 4 - 6 weeks). The induction takes into account the topics "bedside conversations", "legal instruction" They take part in the team meetings (every 1 - 2 months) Head of hospital assistance: (specify by name) The visiting service should take part in the exchange of ideas and experiences between visiting services at inter-institutional meetings

(e.g. the Caritas Conferences of Germany e.V.)

Notes and comments

Members of the visiting service are insured against accidents in hospital and on the way to hospital. If errands are carried out outside the hospital, the burden of proof for the assignment (probably) lies with the member of the service. Note: each member should have liability insurance. The designation of the visiting service as "green (pink or otherwise) "angels" is negatively associated with "angels of death". The term "Hospitessen" is associated with escort services or "Politessen". These terms are not recommended.

Applicable documents

Literature

 * e.g. Order of the Caritas Conferences of Germany e.V.)

• http://www.ekh-deutschland.de/index.html

Terms

Attachments

1. list of participants in the visiting service

3. duty roster and ward allocation plan
4. protocol book
5. attendance list