Hospice Volunteers Research Articles

A Study of the Motivations of British Hospice Volunteers

In all, 162 British hospice volunteers completed the Inventory of Motivations for Hospice Palliative Care Volunteerism (IMHPCV) of Claxton-Oldfield, Wasylkiw, Mark, and Claxton-Oldfield.(1) The IMHPCV taps into 5 different categories of motives for becoming a hospice palliative care volunteer: altruism, civic responsibility, leisure, self-promotion, and personal gain. Altruistic motives were the most influential reasons for choosing to join hospice; personal gain motives were the least influential reasons for becoming a hospice volunteer. Altruistic motives were found to be a significant predictor of volunteers' length of service to the hospice. Compared to previously collected data from a sample of Canadian hospice palliative care volunteers,(1) the current study's sample of British hospice volunteers scored significantly different on 2 of the 5 categories of motives on the IMHPCV.

Being A Hospice Volunteer Influenced Medical Students’ Comfort with Dying and Death: A Pilot Study

Being comfortable with death and communicating with patients near the end of life are important attributes in palliative care. We developed a hospice volunteer program to teach these attitudes and skills to preclinical medical students. Using a mixed-methods approach, validated surveys measured participants' and non-participants fear of death and communication apprehension regarding dying. Journals and focus groups examined participants' subjective experiences as their patient relationships evolved. Survey scores were significantly lower for participant hospice volunteers, indicating lower levels of death anxiety and communication apprehension regarding dying. An explanatory framework, using journals and focus groups, captured participants' sense of development over time into three categories: challenges, learning, and growth. This pilot project provides insight into the medical students' experiential learning as they participate in our hospice volunteer program.

중년여성의 호스피스 자원봉사 경험자와 비경험자의 죽음의식과 자아존중감 비교

This study was carried out to identify how a middle-aged woman's consciousness of the death and self-esteem was affected by whether the hospice volunteer's experience exist or not. As a form of descriptive research, this study, which is based on a structured questionnaire intended for the 191 middle aged women doing volunteer work at the non-profit women's organization, had been conducted twice from May 10, 2010, to May 21, 2010. The results of my research work is followed ; First, a middle-aged woman's consciousness of the death and self-esteem showed significant differences depending on whether the hospice volunteer's experience exist or not. Experienced hospice volunteer group showed a lower consciousness of the death and a higher self-esteem compared to non-experienced hospice volunteer group's case. Second, in case that the results show a high self-esteem, the consciousness of death reach at the low stage. Especially, the experienced hospice volunteer group showed an opposite correlation compared to non-experienced group. Third, Anyone's consciousness of death appeared at a low level when she had a religion and higher education background. Anyone's self-esteem oriented sense appeared at low level when she didn't have religion but rather appeared at high level when the health status of the targeted group was in a good shape. As a result, the hospice volunteer activities can be assumed to increase the middle-aged woman's self-esteem, therefore, turn the consciousness of death into a positive attitude.

Volunteer Satisfaction and Program Evaluation at a Pediatric Hospice

Volunteers are essential to the functioning of palliative care programs and serve as important members of the hospice team. They devote much time, effort, and diverse skills and talent to enhance the quality of care at Roger's House--a pediatric palliative care hospice. To evaluate volunteering in a pediatric palliative care hospice and to assess the level of satisfaction from the perspective of hospice volunteers. A survey was sent to all active Roger's House volunteers. Questions were related to their demographics, their overall impression of their volunteering experience, and 47 closed (fixed-choice) statements, divided into 6 parts: 1) Orientation; 2) Training; 3) Feedback/Performance; 4) Communication; 5) Social Contacts; and 6) Value and Respect. Each statement was rated by the participants using a six-point Likert rating scale. Volunteers fully completing the survey were 159 online and 4 on paper, giving a response rate of 66%. The greater number (66, 40.5%) of respondents were 50 years or older and they were mostly female (141, 86.5%). Successes identified included the volunteers' orientation, training, and feedback and performance. Challenges identified included certain aspects of communication, social contacts, and respect/value for the volunteer. Volunteers at Roger's House are generally satisfied with their volunteer position and the environment in which they work. Greater insight into volunteer satisfaction and factors that bring feelings of reward and/or dissatisfaction to the volunteers have allowed Roger's House to identify informed and effective interventions to improve the quality of and satisfaction with the hospice volunteer program.

Working as a Hospice Volunteer

Drawing on recent qualitative research undertaken in a large English hospice, this article discusses the experience of being a hospice volunteer. The research explored a range of issues connected to the process and experience of voluntary work in this setting including who volunteers, what roles volunteers take up, how they are trained and supported, and the ways in which role boundaries are established and maintained. The research revealed that hospice volunteering is rewarding but often emotionally challenging, and is now highly routinized and closely monitored in ways paralleling practices in the paid labor market. Although volunteers freely give their time to the work of hospice, their activities are subject to significant management prescription, with hospices increasingly adopting sophisticated business models to underpin their operation and, in many cases, their expansion (Watts, 2010).

Negotiating the Boundary Between Paid and Unpaid Hospice Workers

To explore the nurse-volunteer relationship in a day hospice. Underpinned by an interpretive approach, face-to-face semistructured interviews were conducted with 12 day hospice volunteers. The nature and dynamics of the relationship between nursing staff and volunteers within the day hospice were characterized by increasing formality and changes in the division of labor, which challenged smooth working relationships. Volunteers see their role as becoming increasingly formalized partly as a response to increasing administrative demands on hospice nurses. The willingness of volunteers to take on new roles is variable. For volunteers to feel secure and valued and working relationships to remain strong, the process of how boundaries between paid and unpaid workers are negotiated needs to be transparent.

Medical Students as Hospice Volunteers: Influence of an Early Experiential Training Program in End-of-Life Care Education (419-C)

understanding of patients’ existential issues and sharing that with consultants could potentially result in improved care that would address such issues. They developed a set of questions to which they assigned the acronym ‘‘CASH’’: What do I need to know about you to take better care of you? What has helped (assisted) you most during the course of your illness? What are the biggest stressors in your life now? What is your biggest fear? What are you hoping for? The patient’s answers were prominently noted in both written and verbal reports. The consultants were then surveyed regarding whether the information was helpful in understanding and caring for their patients. The fellows were also surveyed. An educational consultant introduced the PDSA concept and participated in ongoing project review.

In Celebration of Home Healthcare and Hospice Volunteers

In Celebration of Home Healthcare and Hospice Volunteers

Investigation of Factors Sustaining Longevity of Hospice Volunteer Activities, and Related Factors

Investigation of Factors Sustaining Longevity of Hospice Volunteer Activities, and Related Factors

Volunteers as Facilitators of Communication About Pain

Often unskilled for the hospice caregiving role, family members who provide patient care at home need support to facilitate pain management. Volunteers who serve as members of the hospice team may be able to complement staff efforts to discuss pain with caregivers. A pilot project was developed to determine if volunteers could be trained to facilitate communication about pain with family caregivers. Two hospice volunteers were trained and three family caregivers received the intervention in their homes. Caregivers and volunteers were interviewed about the experience. Both caregivers and volunteers reported a rewarding and positive experience. Caregivers prioritized the need to talk with someone, and volunteers preferred working with caregivers instead of administrative support duties. Volunteers could be trained to deliver the intervention material, but information from volunteer visits was not immediately reported to hospice staff members. Future research should assess the benefits of using hospice volunteers to support clinical efforts.

Assessing the Readiness of Hospice Volunteers to Utilize Technology

Although hospice volunteer programs contribute to patient care, little is known about their utilization and adaptation of technology. A survey was posted to the Hospice Volunteer Association Web site to assess technology use among volunteer coordinators and volunteers. Results revealed that participants have access to computers, Internet, and e-mail at the hospice agency and routinely use cellular phones and e-mail. Despite the use of technology, communication problems with volunteers hindered the coordinator's ability to manage scheduling, training, and volunteer assignments for patient care. Coordinators and volunteers felt comfortable utilizing technology but were less comfortable using technology in the patients' home. Several areas are identified for development and integration of advanced technology in volunteer programs. Future research is needed to ease technology implementation and increase volunteer acceptance.

Training and Supporting Hospice Volunteers

We surveyed volunteers from 8 hospices in the Delaware Valley regarding training, perceived needs, and role satisfaction. Results were consistent with previous studies: satisfaction with preservice training and with volunteering was very high; respondents reported feeling very prepared and confident about doing hospice work as a result of their volunteer training. In addition, longer volunteer preservice training was associated with higher levels of overall satisfaction with training; levels of volunteer satisfaction and fulfillment tended to be lower during the first year of volunteering; and participation in volunteer support teams was associated with finding volunteer work rewarding and with feeling a part of the hospice team. Implications for preservice training and ongoing support and education of hospice volunteers are discussed.

Supporting hospice volunteers and caregivers through community-based participatory research

Drawing on the results of community-based research with a local hospice organisation, this article addresses the need to enhance social support for caregivers of people with life-threatening illnesses. The goal of the research was to involve palliative care stakeholders in the identification, prioritisation and implementation of social support interventions for caregivers who provide palliative care support as hospice volunteers and as family members of those at end-of-life. Guided by a community-based participatory research approach, primary data were collected from 39 volunteer and family member caregivers through four focus groups and nine personal diaries in July 2008. Content analysis and modified constant comparison techniques resulted in emergent themes and priorities relating to challenges, existing coping strategies and resources, and potential support interventions. The findings revealed communication, emotional support, education, advocacy and personal fatigue as the most important challenges to be addressed through support interventions at the organisational (professional support, volunteer mentoring and continuing education) and household levels (caregiver assessments, telephone support and follow-up). There was convergence in how caregivers perceived and access existing social supports, yet a crucial divergence in the availability of resources among volunteers and family members. The findings are discussed in the light of the capacity for hospices to implement social supports and the potential efficacy of the community-based participatory research approach for enhancing social support for caregivers in other parts of health-care and social care.

Gaining ‘real-time’ feedback to influence patient and family care

IntroductionGaining meaningful feedback about service user experience when patients are at the end of life can be difficult. The hospice through its relationship with the local primary care trust won...

Those who can, do. Those who can do more, volunteer.

Motivations, Challenges and RewardsIntroductionHospice volunteers have been credited with bringing a unique human dimension to an otherwise clinical setting and are considered to be core members of interdisciplinary palliative care...

Partnerships with young people in palliative care

IntroductionThis Project is an attempt to diversify the hospice volunteer base using volunteers from ages 16–25 years in a specifically designed programme. Managed within the constraints of the National Curriculum...

An innovative approach to creating a hospice at home team

IntroductionThis project uses an innovative approach to creating a new Hospice at Home team. The team aims to deliver a service that can respond quickly with a flexible and adaptable...

The provision of public education – a hospice's journey

The End of Life Care Strategy highlighted the importance of public education and the Dying Matters coalition was created to encourage people to talk about dying. This describes the experience...

Improving Cultural Competency Among Hospice and Palliative Care Volunteers

This case study of 14 hospice and palliative care volunteers looked for recommendations and suggestions on how to increase cultural competency among hospice volunteers. In-depth interviews were conducted with a hospice in Toronto, Canada, and findings reveal that volunteers have very specific and diverse recommendations on how they prefer to be briefed and educated on cultural competency issues surrounding their patients. Findings also reveal hospice volunteers want more cultural competency training and acknowledge the importance of being culturally competent. This article concludes with a précis on recommendations for increasing cultural competency in hospice and palliative care for both volunteers and agencies and discusses the top 4 future trends in cultural competency for hospice care.

Cultural Competency and Diversity Among Hospice Palliative Care Volunteers

This case study examines the current state of cultural competence in hospice and palliative care in the Greater Toronto Area (GTA). Because of changing demographic trends and ethnic minorities underutilizing hospice palliative care services, this research examined the current state of culturally competent care in a hospice setting, and the challenges to providing culturally competent care in a hospice in the GTA. A case study was conducted with a hospice and included in-depth interviews with 14 hospice volunteers. The findings reveal that volunteers encountered cultural clashes when their level of cultural competency was weak. Second, volunteers revealed there was a lack of adequate cultural competency training with their hospice, and finally, there was a lack of ethnic, cultural, and linguistic diversity among the hospice volunteers.