The Role of Volunteers in Enhancing Resident Quality of Life in Long-Term Care: Analyzing Policies that May Enable or Limit this Role

Abstract

Research has shown that long-term care (LTC) volunteers play important roles in enhancing the quality of life (QoL) of older LTC residents, often through providing unique forms of relational care. Guided by Kane’s QoL domains, we used a modified objective hermeneutics method to analyze how unique volunteer roles are represented and supported in provincial policies in Alberta, British Columbia, Ontario, and Nova Scotia. We found that policies define volunteer roles narrowly, which may limit residents’ QoL. This happens through (1) omitting volunteers from most regulatory policy, (2) likening volunteers to supplementary staff rather than to caregivers with unique roles, and (3) overemphasizing residents’ safety, security, and order. We offer insights into promising provincial policy directions for LTC volunteers, yet we argue that further regulating volunteers may be an inadequate or ill-suited approach to addressing the cultural, social, and structural changes required for volunteers to enhance LTC residents’ QoL effectively.

Older Adults’ Quality of Life in Long-Term Care: A Cross-Sectional Comparison Before and During the COVID-19 Pandemic

“…Social connectedness is associated with better well-being and contributes to better QoL for LTC residents (Bethell et al, 2021; Hande, Taylor, & Keefe, 2021). Studies have shown that self-isolation restrictions during the pandemic have increased anxiety and loneliness in older adults (Hwang, Rabheru, Peisah, Reichman, & Ikeda, 2020; Sepúlveda-Loyola et al, 2020).…”

Towards equitable representation in long-term residential care: widening the circle to ensure “essential voices” in research teams

“…However, SALTY organized three in-person meetings where advisors’ travel, food, and accommodation was covered by research funds. SALTY’s essential voice advisors are acknowledged in SALTY publications where they played a direct advisory role, with some publications specifically discussing the role that essential voice advisors played in analysis and knowledge production [ 31 , 43 ] Advisors were co-leads in knowledge translation activities, including academic workshops [ 45 , 46 ] and other project related presentations as the project wrapped up.…”

Volunteers’ experiences building relationships with long-term care residents who have advanced dementia

“…Long-term care staff, who speak of a lack of adequate time as a structural barrier to providing relational care ( Barken & Lowndes, 2018 ), also express appreciation for volunteers’ capacity to support residents’ social needs ( Hunter et al, 2018 ; Söderhamn et al, 2012 ). Most studies focus on relationships volunteers maintain with long-term care residents, giving less attention to relationships with family caregivers and staff, despite the multi-directional benefits of involving volunteers in the care of long-term care residents with advanced dementia (e.g., Hande et al., 2021 ).…”

“…In the few studies that do describe these relationships, volunteers have been described as having an “in-between” role where they are not quite a friend of the resident, and not quite a staff member either ( Weeks et al, 2008 ). This less defined, in-between role seems to allow volunteers to act as an intermediary between family members and staff when needed by either party, promoting more effective communication and continuity of care ( Hande et al, 2021 ). Current research also suggests that there are reciprocal benefits in the relationships between volunteers and family caregivers.…”

“…This can lead to a lack of clarity regarding the roles of volunteers and staff with respect to one another ( Tingvold & Skinner, 2019 ). Role clarification is an important initial step for supporting relationships between staff and volunteers ( Hande et al., 2021 ; Hurst et al, 2019 ). With adequate role development and support, long-term care staff may be enthusiastic about the contributions of volunteers, recognizing the benefits to residents and to their own work ( Hunter, Rissling, et al., 2020 ; Hurst et al, 2019 ).…”