‘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)

Abstract

PurposeTo explore the perspectives of people anticipated to be in their last year of life, family carers, volunteers and staff on the impacts of receiving a volunteer-provided befriending service. Patient participants received up to 12 weeks of a volunteer-provided befriending intervention. Typically, this involved one visit per week from a trained volunteer. Such services complement usual care and are hoped to enhance quality of life.MethodsMultiple case study design (n = 8). Cases were end-of-life befriending services in home and community settings including UK-based hospices (n = 6), an acute hospital (n = 1) and a charity providing support to those with substance abuse issues (n = 1). Data collection incorporated qualitative thematic interviews, observation and documentary analysis. Framework analysis facilitated within and across case pattern matching.ResultsEighty-four people participated across eight sites (cases), including patients (n = 23), carers (n = 3), volunteers (n = 24) and staff (n = 34). Interview data are reported here. Two main forms of input were described—‘being there’ and ‘doing for’. ‘Being there’ encapsulated the importance of companionship and the relational dynamic between volunteer and patient. ‘Doing for’ described the process of meeting social needs such as being able to leave the house with the volunteer. These had impacts on wellbeing with people describing feeling less lonely, isolated, depressed and/or anxious.ConclusionImpacts from volunteer befriending or neighbour services may be achieved through volunteers taking a more practical/goal-based orientation to their role and/or taking a more relational and emotional orientation. Training of volunteers must equip them to be aware of these differing elements of the role and sensitive to when they may create most impact.Trial RegistrationISRCTN12929812

Virtual volunteers: the importance of restructuring medical volunteering during the COVID-19 pandemic

“…[4][5][6][7] This companionship has implications on patient wellness including decreased feelings of loneliness, isolation, depression and anxiety. 8 Volunteers significantly attenuate the cost of hospice care, and they improve standards of care and efficiency by allowing medical professionals to focus on treating the physiological needs of the patients. 1 4 Increased volunteering in hospitals is also associated with increases in patient satisfaction as well as economic benefits, indirectly aiding future patients.…”

Quality of Life Trends in People With and Without Cancer Referred to Volunteer-Provided Palliative Care Services (ELSA): A Longitudinal Study

“…Data were collected in the context of a pragmatic, randomized, prospective waitlist trial; the study protocol and reports are available, and the trial was prospectively registered. 6,50,51 The aim of this exploratory analysis was to prospectively compare the quality of life of people (with and without cancer) referred to these services.…”

A mixed-method evaluation of a volunteer navigation intervention for older persons living with chronic illness (Nav-CARE): findings from a knowledge translation study

“…This relational interaction is a significant motivation for volunteering in the literature [61,63]. Volunteers described the importance of engaging in both small talk and deeply sensitive topics, a finding that was also reported in the ELSA study [41]. Volunteers recognized the intermediary space they occupied between family and paid providers, a role that has been described elsewhere [22,41].…”

“…Although there is limited evidence about the impact of the volunteer role on palliative clients and family, the evidence that does exist suggests that volunteers can increase family and client satisfaction with care and overall well-being [22,58]. Qualitative findings from the ELSA study, a volunteer befriending service at end of life, reported that volunteers reduced negative feelings in older persons (e.g., self-pity and anxiety) and facilitated a growth in their confidence [41]. Unique findings from the Nav-CARE intervention were that volunteers helped clients to access cost effective resources and to navigate the social relationships of healthcare.…”