Palliative care volunteering: Pressing challenges in research

Vanderstichelen, Steven

doi:10.1177/02692163221089483

Cited by 6 publications

(7 citation statements)

References 8 publications

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“…This Connector model of volunteering has been shown to enhance autonomy, agency and opportunity for capacity building. With the reported shortage of traditional volunteers 16 it is worth considering whether it may have greater appeal to those who have become jaded by, or are not attracted to, the activities offered by most traditional volunteer programmes. Such supervised and directed activities provide practical support but make a limited social contribution to networks and services already established by the programme that manages the volunteers.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Other researchers have argued for models of volunteering that make better use of the existing skills and capacities of community members who want to be involved in end-of-life and bereavement care. [15][16][17][18][19] When volunteers have reasonable autonomy to utilise their emotional, intellectual, and practical skills, the volunteer role can be especially fulfilling. 20 Community participation has the potential to increase social connection 21,22 create a sense of empowerment, 23,24 and reduce hospitalisations.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

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‘The more you give, the better it is for you. You know the reward is greater than the effort’: the Compassionate Communities Connectors’ experience

et al. 2022

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Background: The Compassionate Communities Connectors programme is a volunteer-led initiative designed to enhance the social networks of families living with chronic or life-limiting illnesses. Specially trained volunteers supported existing members of the families’ social networks and also enlisted the support of community members, Caring Helpers, to address the social and practical needs of these families. The programme is an initiative of The South West Compassionate Communities Network in Western Australia, in partnership with the health service. Objective: To explore the experiences and views of Connectors implementing this model of care with a particular focus on its feasibility and acceptability from their perspective. Methods: Semi-structured telephone interviews were undertaken with 11 Connectors covering their experience with 37 patients/family carers (March 2021 to April 2022). A deductive content analysis was used in analysing interview transcripts. Results: Six themes captured the Connectors’ view of their role and its impact on their clients and themselves: Mutual benefits from connection and reciprocity; It is ok to ask for and receive help; Sense of community as being ‘part of a village’; Making a difference in social connectedness; Frustrations when not achieving everything you want to; Reflecting on the difference with traditional volunteering. These themes are complemented by a social network mapping example and a vignette demonstrating the increase both in connections and interaction between these connections and the process by which such changes took place. Conclusion: Volunteering as a Connector has been a positive and feasible experience for fostering a sense of community among participants, developing relationships with other community members, seeing the difference that the Connector role makes in the lives of those involved in the enhanced network and fostering growth in Connectors’ emotional capacity and compassion. The work is challenging but rewarding and differs in several respects from traditional volunteering, particularly in the agency Connectors can bring to their role. A public health approach based on a close partnership between health services and communities/civic institutions is the optimal practice model.

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Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

‘The more you give, the better it is for you. You know the reward is greater than the effort’: the Compassionate Communities Connectors’ experience

et al. 2022

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“…Practical implications of this research on the profile of PCV are important to guide their selection, training, support and retention, crucial issues in this period of restructuring marked by the covid-19 pandemic and the retirement of the older traditional volunteer cohorts. 9 Yet, the results of this study which confirmed the well documented sociodemographic profile of PCV, notably their older age, and provided initial elements on their psychological resources which were found to be superior to those of the control groups, should be interpreted with caution. For example, recruitment based on age would have the advantage of being simple to implement but would not guarantee the selection of individuals with strong psychological resources.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 56%

“…[4][5][6][7][8] As the paradigm of palliative care is shifting towards a more community-based model of the end of life, the need for palliative care volunteers (PCV) is becoming critical. 9 Recruiting, preparing and retaining PCV are keys to strengthen their numbers. 10 In order to develop practical recommendations for selecting, training and supporting them, there is a need to improve understanding of this population, which is currently insufficient.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Are Palliative Care Volunteers Special People? A Comparative Observational Study Exploring Their Sociodemographic Profile and Psychological Resources

Varay

Lareyre

Baeza-Velasco

2023

Am J Hosp Palliat Care

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Background Faced with rising needs for patient support, palliative care is shifting towards a more community-based approach. Yet the profile of volunteers in this field is poorly known. Aim To explore psychosocial characteristics of palliative care volunteers, by comparing them to two groups, volunteers from the health and social sector without contact with palliative patients, and people from the general population without volunteer activity. Design Observational comparative study. Data were analyzed using descriptive statistics and logistic regression analysis. Participants The 3 groups of participants were recruited in France between September 2020 and June 2021. They completed an online survey assessing sociodemographic characteristics and psychological resources (self-efficacy, hope, optimism, resilience, mindfulness, self-compassion, empathy, forgivingness, and gratitude). Results Data from 559 participants were analyzed. Palliative care volunteers had overall significantly higher levels of psychological resources than control groups. Multivariate analysis revealed, among sociodemographic and psychological characteristics that showed differences between groups at the univariate level, the most efficient predictors of group status. The best criteria to distinguish palliative care volunteers from health and social sector volunteers were older age, having received training, and lower levels of self-compassion. To distinguish palliative care volunteers from people with no volunteer activity, older age and non-active professional status were the best criteria. Conclusions Palliative care volunteers displayed more psychological resources than controls. However, older age and being trained for volunteering, emerged as stronger factors for distinguishing palliative care volunteers from controls. Pursuing research about these volunteers should facilitate recruitment, training, and retention.

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“…2,3 For example, in the case of volunteering, role ambiguity, hesitancy about volunteering, and the partial appreciation of spiritual support in palliative care, all influence outcomes. 4 Correspondingly, there have been calls to advance the understanding of how palliative care outcomes are produced, the mechanisms of success, and the role contextual factors play. 5,6 Unique issues in palliative care challenge the possibility of experimental designs to demonstrate effectiveness.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Combining realist evaluation and transformative evaluation to advance research in palliative care: The case of end of life companionship

et al. 2023

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Background: Palliative care requires innovative methods to understand what works, for whom, in what circumstances and why. Realist evaluation has become one prominent approach due to its preoccupation with building, and testing, causal theories to explain the influence of contextual factors on outcomes. Undertaking realist evaluation is not without challenges and may amplify issues of underrepresentation, disempower those working in palliative care, and produce results with poor ecological validity. Complementary approaches are needed which mitigate these challenges, whilst producing credible findings that advances knowledge. Purpose: In this article it is outlined how realist evaluation provides a toolkit to advance research to explain, and empirically test, the complex contours of palliative care. Moreover, it is proposed that transformative evaluation can provide a catalyst to engage and empower those within palliative care, create the opportunity for care transformation, and produce more informed and authentic theories. Discussion: Contemporary issues in palliative care pertain to the complexity of palliative care, the insufficiency of experimental designs alone, and the challenges of achieving inclusive research participation. In this article it is argued that theory led, participatory, opportunistic and naturalistic approaches can provide an antidote to the issues in the literature. The combination also mitigates many methodological critiques of the individual approaches, by increasing the transformative potential of realist evaluation, and explanatory potential of transformative evaluation.

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Palliative care volunteering: Pressing challenges in research

Cited by 6 publications

References 8 publications

‘The more you give, the better it is for you. You know the reward is greater than the effort’: the Compassionate Communities Connectors’ experience

‘The more you give, the better it is for you. You know the reward is greater than the effort’: the Compassionate Communities Connectors’ experience

Are Palliative Care Volunteers Special People? A Comparative Observational Study Exploring Their Sociodemographic Profile and Psychological Resources

Combining realist evaluation and transformative evaluation to advance research in palliative care: The case of end of life companionship

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