Jean Georges is a volunteer at the Cleveland Clinic Lou Ruvo Center for Brain Health.
What is your favorite part about volunteering?
Helping frightened or resistant patients and caregivers to feel welcomed, safe and loved; and to see smiles on their faces when they leave.
How long have you been a volunteer at the hospital and how many hours do you volunteer each week?
Since it opened — a little over five years. I average seven and a half hours each week.
How can someone else become a volunteer there?
Go to the website, www.keepmemoryalive.org and download the application form. Fill it out and send it to Karen Mariano by fax to 702-701-7954; or by email to [email protected]. Or you may come into the Ruvo Center and pick up a volunteer form, fill it out and leave it at the Center.
How long do you plan to work as a volunteer there?
As long as my feet are above ground and I am moving, or until a cure, or even better, a prevention for Alzheimer’s Disease is found.
What makes a good volunteer?
Having a passion for the goals of the organization, and a love for patients and staff.
Are you retired? If so, what was your career?
Yes, retired. Trained mediator and arbitrator.
How long have you lived in Las Vegas?
Since 1959 — 56 years this August.
What volunteer activities do you take part in at the hospital?
Greeting patients, caregivers and other guests at the front door, and escorting them to their doctors or other appointments. Working in our library. Occasionally assisting staff by helping to sign in guests at special events.
What things do you do during your shift?
Greet patients and other guests and escort them to their appointments, making them feel welcomed and cared for. In the library guests are helped to locate materials that address their particular issue.
Sometimes a guest may just want to talk, so we listen with understanding, and often refer him or her to another resource within the Ruvo Center, such as a social worker or support group.
What other activities are you involved in when you aren't volunteering?
Keeping in contact with family and friends — thank goodness for Skype, cell phone and email!
Having meals and nights out with friends, swimming, dance class and reading. I love researching anything interesting that comes my way.
What is the biggest reward from volunteering?
Knowing I have made a difference to someone; given and received a hug, listened, encouraged. Every day I receive more than I give.
Anything else you would like to tell us?
So glad you asked. We are very proud of the care and comfort given both patients and caregivers at the Ruvo Center, where the caregiver is as important as the patient. There are support groups for both caregivers and patients; an extensive library of free brochures, books and DVDs available to the Las Vegas community; social workers to help patients and caregivers through their difficult times; lunch time meetings where the Las Vegas community can learn from our doctors and other experts in the field of health care; ongoing clinical trials which are so important for finding a cure for these terrible neurological diseases; and clinical studies of the brains of football players and professional fighters to learn the effects on the brains of multiple concussions. I could go on, but by now you probably have an idea of why I feel so privileged to volunteer in this world-renowned brain health center.