A Palliative Care Program for Volunteers in a Community Setting: A Mixed-Methods Pilot Study

American Journal of Hospice & Palliative Medicine, 2020, vol. 37, no. 6, pp. 455-464

Lee, Jiwon; Lee, Jong-Eun

The objective of community-based palliative care is to improve the quality of life of patients and their families and to share the responsibility of caregiving. However, the evidence of the efficacy of volunteer services in community-based palliative care is insufficient. This pilot study sought to uncover the feasibility and efficacy of a volunteer program in palliative care. In conclusion, a palliative care program was found to be useful for volunteers in finding meaning in life, motivating continued volunteering. Moreover, caregivers were satisfied with the palliative care service of volunteers.

Volunteer involvement in advance care planning: a scoping review

Journal of Pain and Symptom Management, 2019 57(6) p.1166
Sellars, Marcus; Simpson, Jamie; Kelly, Helana; et al

Volunteer involvement in ACP has not been clearly described in the literature. This study aimed to map research on volunteer involvement in ACP, identify outcomes associated with ACP volunteer models, and determine gaps in existing knowledge. The results obtained will help to inform strategies that will maximize volunteer effectiveness and performance monitoring in ACP delivery.  A positive finding from the review was that most of the volunteer-led ACP facilitation programs reported improvements in the frequency of completion of ACP conversations or advance care directives, compared with having no ACP initiative in place. In addition, volunteers in both facilitation and education roles became more comfortable discussing ACP as they became more experienced in their role. 

Fulltext available in Journal of Pain and Symptom Management 

'Being with' or 'doing for'? How the role of an end-of-life volunteer befriender can impact patient wellbeing: interviews from a multiple qualitative case study (ELSA)

Supportive Care in Cancer: Official Journal of the Multinational Association of Supportive Care in Cancer 2018 March 29

Steven Dodd, Matt Hill, Nick Ockenden, Guillermo Perez Algorta, Sheila Payne, Nancy Preston, Catherine Walshe

The aim of this research was to study the impact of a volunteer-provided befriending service for people in the last year of life and their families.  The participants reported feeling less lonely, isolated and depressed or anxious.

Fulltext available in Supportive Care in Cancer

'A strange kind of balance': inpatient hospice volunteers' views on role preparation and training

Progress in Palliative Care; 2017 25(6) p. 279-285
Dean, Antonia; Willis, Susan

In the UK, there have been calls for the development of a core curriculum for hospice volunteers but debate exists around the potential for unnecessary 'professionalization' of volunteers. This qualitative, focus group study explores the views of UK inpatient hospice volunteers regarding initial training for role preparation. This study will inform local practice, shaping the education and support of future volunteers, and adds to the wider evidence-base surrounding the development of this crucial group within the hospice workforce.

Fulltext available in Progress in Palliative Care

Available in print in Arthur Rank Hospice Library, Cambridge

Hospice palliative care volunteers: a review of commonly encountered stressors, how they cope with them, and implications for volunteer training/management

American Journal of Hospice and Palliative Medicine, Mar 2016, vol. 31, no. 2, p. 201-204

Claxton-Oldfield, Stephen

The results of this review suggest that hospice volunteers generally do not perceive their work as highly stressful.  However, potential challenges and the ways in which the volunteers coped with them were identified.