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

Abstract

BACKGROUND: 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. PURPOSE: This pilot study sought to uncover the feasibility and efficacy of a volunteer program in palliative care. METHODS: The study used a sequential mixed-methods design. A total of 19 volunteers participated in the training program, and 6 trained volunteers provided services for a period of 10 weeks to 5 families. Quantitative data were collected on death anxiety, coping with death, and meaning in life for volunteers before and after the training and after completing their services. Qualitative data were collected about volunteering experiences. RESULTS: Significant increases in coping with death and meaning in life after training and in meaning in life after providing services were observed among volunteers. Three categories ("Volunteer's growing influence at home," "Discovering meaning-in-life through volunteering," and "Death as the final journey in life") emerged from the qualitative findings. The caregivers' satisfaction score was high. CONCLUSIONS: 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.