APPENDIX C

SAMPLE GUIDELINES FOR CLOWNS IN HOSPITALS AND NURSING HOMES

1. DO go in pairs, if possible. Male-Female pairs are recommended, but not necessary. Three clowns are ok, but you don't want to crowd the room or overwhelm the patient/resident. If you travel in three's, rotate clowns through the rooms. The third clown can wait in the hallway and wave to people. It is fun to play off other clowns (or puppets), especially if the patient/resident seems non-responsive or slightly apprehensive.
   
2. DO check in at the appropriate office. If you are a volunteer and you need to sign in and pick up a badge, do this on the way in.
   
3. DO check in at the Nurses Station on the floor/wing that you intend to visit. This way the staff can provide you with tips on which patients/residents could really use a visit from a clown and whom you should avoid visiting.
4. NEVER try to help a patient/resident. Call a nurse. This is not your responsibility. You could do serious damage or end up with a lawsuit if you try to help or move a patient/resident.
5. DO knock on a patient/resident's door, introduce the fact that you are a clown and ask permission to come in. Often a person in a hospital or nursing home has no privacy and no control over his or her situation or environment. People are constantly coming in to poke and prod the patient/resident at all hours of the day and night. Food is brought in when it is convenient for the staff, not necessarily when the patient/resident is hungry. Asking permission to come visit gives the patient/resident a sense of control. Sometimes he or she will say 'no' and the you, the clown, need to respect that. In such cases, you could say "OK, I'll stop by the next time I'm in" (If you plan to come back) or something silly along the lines of "OK, happy bubble gum dreams, Bye" or some other silly clown statement.
6. DO look around and read the room, once you have been invited in. You can determine the mood, whether or not the patient/resident has visitors, or has received flowers or cards. Items in the room can often be conversation starters. For example, looking at red carnations, you can exclaim, "Oh, what beautiful blue onions you have!" If there are visitors, you can go over to one of the visitors, or directly to the patient/resident to start the conversation: "I hear they serve great lunches here, how often do you come to dine?"
7. DO watch the non-verbal signals a patient/resident is sending you. You do not want to tire him or her out. Sometimes 3 to 5 minutes is all you will visit. Nursing home visits often last longer than hospital visits, but it all depends on the patient/resident that you are visiting. Watch them for cues.
8. DON'T touch a covered part of a patient. You do not know what is under the covers and you could end up seriously hurting a person.
9. DON'T sit on a patient/resident's bed.
10. DON'T give candy. Candy or any other food items may work against dietary restrictions.
11. DO get approval for all "give-aways." Many hospitals do not allow balloons due to latex allergies and the dangers of a balloon getting lodged in a child's throat or lungs. Nursing homes usually do allow and encourage balloons. If you are clowning at a nursing home where there are small children, consider an alternative give-away for children under three years old. You can pretend to blow up and manipulate a plastic duck. Don't forget to tie it shut before handing it over to the child. This way the child will not feel left out if you are giving balloons to other children and adults. Other give-aways that are often approved in hospitals and nursing homes include clown stickers, pictures, drawings, red noses, rings or friendship bracelets.
12. DO be well groomed, polite and courteous and CLOWN FROM THE HEART! If you want to be invited back to the facility, this is the easiest way to make this happen.