Trained volunteers to support chronically ill, multimorbid elderly between hospital and domesticity – a systematic review of one-on-one-intervention types, effects, and underlying training concepts

Abstract

Background New approaches are needed to address the challenges of demographic change, staff shortages, and societal change in the care of the elderly. While volunteering has barely been established as a pillar of the welfare state in several countries, legislators and nonprofit or community-based organizations in some countries favor the increased integration of volunteers, as they can rely on many dedicated people. When caring for the multimorbid elderly, the transition from hospital to domesticity involves certain risks. Currently, no systematic knowledge exists on whether and how elderly benefit from volunteer support after a hospital stay. Objectives of this systematic review were to (1) identify evaluated approaches with trained volunteers supporting chronically ill, multimorbid elderly one-on-one at the interface between hospital and domesticity; (2) investigate the patient-related effectiveness of the approaches; (3) present the characteristics of the supporting volunteers; and (4) present the underlying teaching and training concepts for the volunteers. Methods A systematic search of the following online databases was conducted in April 2017: the Cochrane Library, Medline (PubMed), CINAHL, and PsycINFO (Ebscohost). We included (cluster/quasi-) randomized controlled trials, controlled clinical trials and single-group pre-post design. An institutional search was conducted on eight national institutions from research and practice in Germany. Screening was conducted by one researcher, risk of bias was assessed. Study authors were contacted for study and training details. Results We identified a total of twelve studies, eight of which evaluated treatment following hospital stay: psychosocial-coordinative support ( n = 2), physical-cognitive activation ( n = 4), and assistance with medication intake ( n = 2). We saw short-term effects with small and medium effect sizes. Most volunteers were women aged between 45 and 61 years. Their training lasted 12–26 h and took place prior to first patient contact. During the intervention, volunteers could rely on permanent supporting structures. Conclusions Few studies exist that have evaluated one-on-one-volunteer support following hospitalization, and the effects are inconsistent. As such, further, well-designed studies are needed. The suitability and transferability of the interventions in country-specific settings should be examined in feasibility studies. Furthermore, an international discussion on the appropriate theoretical backgrounds of volunteer training is needed. Electronic supplementary material The online version of this article (10.1186/s12877-019-1130-2) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users.

Evaluating the feasibility and acceptability of virtual group exercise for older adults delivered by trained volunteers: the ImPACt study protocol

“…20 The use of trained volunteers to deliver online physical activity interventions remains an under-researched area and this study addresses the important knowledge gap on the feasibility and acceptability of such interventions. 21…”

“…Older volunteers also benefit from the social interaction that volunteering brings, with reduced feelings of loneliness and having a sense of achievement 20. The use of trained volunteers to deliver online physical activity interventions remains an under-researched area and this study addresses the important knowledge gap on the feasibility and acceptability of such interventions 21…”

Volunteer Engagement in a Stroke Self-Management Program: Qualitative Analysis of a Hybrid Team of Healthcare Providers and Trained Volunteers

“…Volunteering is a promising strategy that has had positive effects on the management of stroke and other chronic conditions. It is an approach wherein volunteers support clients and enhance the clients’ well-being via health education and promotion [ 12 , 13 ]. Volunteers in stroke programs contribute to a variety of areas by directly interacting with stroke patients and offering administrative support [ 14 ].…”

Can volunteer medical visit companions support older adults in the United States?

“…Volunteer provision of support with eating and drinking, mobilization and therapeutic activities in the in-patient setting has been shown to positively impact patient outcomes [ 20 ]. The effects of volunteers in community healthcare related settings are less clear with small studies and often inconsistent effects [ 21 , 22 ]. Training of volunteers is often not well described and varies considerably between studies and volunteer organizations.…”