Over the past 6 months I have been given the opportunity to volunteer at the Ronald McDonald House in Rochester, MN.This house and others like it are meant to serve as a comfortable place to stay that they can fee at home at while their child is undergoing treatment. The main thought behind this is that the families should be focused on their child instead of worrying about paying for a hotel, finding meals, or traveling miles upon miles to get to the hospital. Every house includes basics such as hot home cooked meals, private bedrooms for each family, and playrooms for children. Some houses have family support services, sibling support services, and recreational programs for everyone that is staying that the house. Families either stay at no cost or are asked to make a donation up to $25 per day, depending on the house, but no one is ever turned away due to inability to pay and the donation fee is waved.
While working at the house I got a chance to do a wide array of activities. The most common was the use of different video games including the Wii and Xbox Kinect, both of which allow the kids to move around and get physical activity while in a safe clean setting. We also made several group trips to the Rochester Athletic Club and the Rochester YMCA where me and several of the teen boys went and played everything from basketball to mini golf. Board games were also a favorite of some of the younger kids especially Uno and Candy Land. I also had the chance to help a certified music therapist and a pet therapist lead several programs.
The main goal of the RMH is to make the families feel as at home as possible during their stay. Another major goal is to help the child and his or her family cope with and understand all of the issues involved with their hospital experiences and aid in them making a full recovery.
No comments:
Post a Comment