Volunteer Support, Marital Status, and the Survival Times of Terminally Ill Patients.

Abstract

This study examines the possibility that volunteer support can influence how long terminally ill patients survive. Hospice patient files (N ϭ 290) were coded for marital status and volunteer support condition, respectively, the latter on the basis of whether visits from volunteers were requested and received (n ϭ 94), requested but not received (n ϭ 28), or neither requested nor received (n ϭ 168). Baseline health, disease type, and demographic dimensions were comparable across support conditions. Results indicated that when a baseline health status effect was controlled for ( p Ͻ .0002), patients in the volunteer support condition survived significantly longer than did patients in either unvisited condition ( p Ͻ .0001). Neither marital status nor gender independently predicted survival time.

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.…”

Benchmarks Curricular Planning and Assessment Framework: Utilizing Standards Without Introducing Standardization

“…So, the same framework is used for both program planning and assessment. Theoretical accounts (Shepard 2000) and recent work by Baldwin et al (2009) suggests that keeping standards on the same scale as assessments may assist educators in using them to plan and assess activities.…”

“…Instead, it should support educators' ability to pool different resources, including children's interests, by prompting them to evaluate programs based on the number and types of opportunities they provide for students. In contrast to the benchmarks framework, curricula cover or inform important topics, including how to: physically structure a classroom, pace and design daily schedules, and facilitate family involvement (e.g., The Creative Curriculum, Dodge et al 2002;Baldwin et al 2009;NAEYC and NAECS/SDE 2003). The WA State Early Learning and Development Benchmarks provide a useful framework for pooling different curriculum because they have five domains of early learning that map onto those used in other curricula (e.g., The Creative Curriculum, Dodge et al 2002), includes 75 educational goals, and embeds benchmarks within agegroups and overarching educational goals.…”

“…Although children's museums are not typically categorized as early learning institutions, evidence of learning in these settings justifies including them in the early childhood community (National Research Council 2009). There is even diversity within the types of curriculum employed, varying from those that employ theory-based (e.g., Reggio Emilia) to practicebased curricula (e.g., The Creative Curriculum, Dodge et al 2002); (Baldwin et al 2009). In light of this diversity, the field requires an approach to curricular assessment that honors the commitments and values of different early learning institutions.…”

“…Early learning environments span a diverse array of cultures (Souto-Manning and Mitchell 2009), approaches to teaching and learning (Baldwin et al 2009), and settings, like classrooms, home-school environments, and informal learning settings like children's museums that are united by their focus on early learning (National Research Council 2008, 2009. Although children's museums are not typically categorized as early learning institutions, evidence of learning in these settings justifies including them in the early childhood community (National Research Council 2009).…”