Hospice Palliative Care Volunteers: A Unique Care Link

Abstract

In this research, we endeavoured to gain a clearer understanding of what impact hospice palliative care (HPC) volunteers have on family caregivers and the underlying factors that contribute to this. We conducted ten face-to-face interviews with bereaved women who had previously provided care for their spouses and who used HPC volunteers. We checked our interpretation through a feedback focus group. Using a methodological hermeneutic approach, we came to understand the unique position HPC volunteers occupy within the formal health care system. Our constitutive organizing theme was manifest throughout the women's stories in seven thematic areas that explicate the dimensions of the overarching theme: the Unique Care Link. We identified seven themes that exemplify specific ways in which HPC volunteers have a positive impact on the lives of spousal caregivers. This knowledge can be incorporated into the further development of training and support programs for HPC volunteers, and to increase the quality of volunteer HPC services provided to family members.

Does involving volunteers in the provision of palliative care make a difference to patient and family wellbeing? A systematic review of quantitative and qualitative evidence

“…Six of the included studies were of quantitative design (Block et al, 2010;Claxton-Oldfield et al, 2010;Herbst-Damm and Kulik, 2005;Luijkx and Shols, 2009;McGill et al, 1990;Miceli and Mylod, 2003), and two qualitative (Jack et al, 2011;Weeks et al, 2008). One of the quantitative studies also collected qualitative data (Luijkx and Shols, 2009); however we did not include this study in our evaluation of qualitative evidence as we were not certain that the study met qualitative method criteria in that they did not report qualitative analysis.…”

“…Of the quantitative studies, three were undertaken in the US (Block et al, 2010;Herbst-Damm and Kulik, 2005;Miceli and Mylod, 2003), two in Canada (Claxton-Oldfield et al, 2010;McGill et al, 1990); and one in the Netherlands (Luijkx and Shols, 2009). Of the qualitative studies, one was undertaken in Uganda (Jack et al, 2011) and one in Canada (Weeks et al, 2008). There were no studies conducted in the UK.…”

“…The two qualitative studies differed in sources of data collection and analysis (Jack et al, 2011;Weeks et al, 2008). In one the authors explored the experience of volunteer care of patients and families, and clinical staff (Jack et al, 2011), in the other the experience of bereaved wives whose spouse had received care involving volunteers (Weeks et al, 2008).…”

“…In one the authors explored the experience of volunteer care of patients and families, and clinical staff (Jack et al, 2011), in the other the experience of bereaved wives whose spouse had received care involving volunteers (Weeks et al, 2008). Sampling was convenience (Jack et al, 2011), or purposive (Weeks et al, 2008). Data was analysed in one study using thematic analysis (Jack et al, 2011).…”

“…Data was analysed in one study using thematic analysis (Jack et al, 2011). The other (Weeks et al, 2008), took an inductive hermeneutics approach, which was described by the authors as involving an initial coding for context, such as care network and hospice services, and this coding was used to organise the subsequent thematic analysis. Using our assessment tool, quality items were adequately reported in the two studies, with the majority of items scored as 'good' (see Table 3).…”