“The thing that I love about getting volunteers into long-term care — particularly high school students — is that they come in, they have a good experience (and) they see that long-term care is not a scary place to be,” says Schrum.

The Jarlette Health Services-owned long-term care home has partnered with three area high schools — Bear Creek Secondary School, St. Peter’s Secondary School and St. Joan of Arc Secondary School — which see four students come to the home to volunteer their time with residents.

These partnerships provide students with hands-on experience in a long-term care environment. It opens up the door to possible careers, and helps alleviate many tasks for busy staff members.

Schrum describes the partnership as a “win-win situation for both the school and the long-term care home.”

Students can work in any department they choose and they have the opportunity to ask questions. They do one-to-one visiting, help personal support workers, assist dietary staff in the kitchen and aid the life enrichment department by taking residents to activities.

“The residents just love their help,” says Schrum.

And the residents show their appreciation.

One student has developed a friendship with one of the women at the home. When the student applied for a college scholarship, the resident helped Schrum write a letter of recommendation to the college where the student applied.

Another student volunteers with a resident who has Alzheimer’s disease. While this resident exhibits agitation, she’s immediately calmed when the student comes to sit with her, notes Schrum.

“(The student) is so thrilled to be here and she’s so glad that she’s getting this experience,” says Schrum. “She wants to become an RPN (registered practical nurse), so she’s glad that she’s gaining this experience so that when she applies to college she has something to back up her academic background.”

Like Roberta Place, Almonte Country Haven is partnered with local high schools. Two students volunteered at the Ottawa-area long-term care home this past summer.

Angie Acheson, environmental services manager at the OMNI Health Care-owned home, says the partnership, which began last year, has been successful.

“I (had) them doing odds-and-sods jobs; anything from helping the maintenance man to folding laundry to weeding the gardens, taking residents for walks . . . they (helped) in all departments,” says Acheson.

“I think it’s great community networking. It opens their eyes to long-term care and job opportunities for them.”

Schrum also sees these partnerships as vital from a community standpoint.

“It’s important that everybody works together in a community,” she says. “The people who live here have the opportunity to assist the students in school and it’s just a wonderful partnership. Everybody in society has something to give, and with this partnership there are many different generations that benefit.”