Geisinger Bloomsburg Hospital, Geisinger Community Medical Center, and Geisinger Wyoming Valley Medical Center are accepting applications for the spring 2026 Hospital Elder Life Program (HELP). The program has also expanded to include Geisinger Medical Center in Danville.
HELP is designed for college students who are interested in health care careers. Students accepted into the program will serve as specially trained volunteers working directly with patients aged 65 and older. Through this experience, they gain clinical exposure by engaging with seniors in a hospital setting.
The main goal of HELP is to prevent delirium among elderly patients. Volunteers receive training to identify early signs of delirium and educate both patients and their families about prevention strategies. The program provides practical knowledge related to patient safety and senior health, allowing volunteers to contribute to improved outcomes such as fewer falls and better recoveries.
Volunteers benefit from hands-on patient care experience, collaboration with interdisciplinary teams, leadership opportunities, mentorship from Geisinger professionals, training in comfort and mobility interventions, cognitive interventions, and more than 100 hours of hospital service.
Patients participating in the program receive personal connection, companionship, emotional support through conversations, interventions aimed at preventing delirium and functional decline, an improved hospital experience, and enhanced support to reach their care goals.
College students interested in volunteering can apply online at go.geisinger.org/elderlife. There are three orientation sessions offered each year. Applications for the spring 2026 semester are now open. For further information, applicants may contact Deanna Dunning at ddunning@geisinger.edu or call 570-808-6124.
According to Geisinger’s description of its operations on its website (https://www.geisinger.org/about-geisinger), the organization is a nonprofit system that provides value-based care across central and northeastern Pennsylvania. It serves approximately 1.2 million people through 163 care sites including ten hospital campuses. With over 27,000 employees—including nearly 1,800 physicians—Geisinger also operates an insurance plan covering more than half a million members. The health system’s economic impact on Pennsylvania is estimated at $16.8 billion annually. In 2024, Geisinger joined Risant Health to further efforts in expanding value-based care nationwide.
“Geisinger is among the nation’s leading providers of value-based care, serving 1.2 million people in urban and rural communities across central and northeastern Pennsylvania. Founded in 1915 by philanthropist Abigail Geisinger, the nonprofit system generates more than $8 billion in annual revenues across 163 care sites — including 10 hospital campuses — and Geisinger Health Plan, with more than half a million members in commercial and government plans. Geisinger College of Health Sciences educates more than 5,000 medical professionals annually and is conducting more than 1,400 clinical research studies. With more than 27,000 employees, including 1,800 employed physicians and 5,200 registered nurses, Geisinger is among Pennsylvania’s largest employers, having an estimated economic impact of $16.8 billion on the state’s economy. In 2024, Geisinger joined Risant Health, a nonprofit charitable organization created to expand and accelerate value-based care across the country.”
For additional details about HELP or other programs offered by Geisinger Community Medical Center or related hospitals within the network visit https://www.geisinger.org/.
