Volunteers in Palliative Care - A Comparison of Seven European Countries: A Descriptive Study.

PubMed

Woitha, Kathrin; Hasselaar, Jeroen; van Beek, Karen; Radbruch, Lukas; Jaspers, Birgit; Engels, Yvonne; Vissers, Kris

2015-07-01

In Europe, volunteers have an important role in the delivery of palliative care. As part of the EU co-funded Europall project, 4 aspects of volunteering in palliative care were studied for 7 European countries (Belgium, England, France, Germany, the Netherlands, Poland, and Spain). These included (1) involvement of volunteers in palliative care, (2) organization of palliative care volunteering, (3) legal regulations concerning volunteering, and (4) education and training of palliative care volunteering. A literature search combined with an interview study. Information from the scientific literature, and country-specific policy documents were obtained and completed, along with data of consecutive semi-structured interviews with experts in the field of palliative care in the participating countries. In all countries, volunteers appeared to be involved in palliative care, yet their involvement across health care settings differed per country. England, for example, has the highest number of volunteers whereas Spain has the lowest number. Volunteering is embedded in law and regulations in all participating countries except for England and the Netherlands. In all participating countries, training programs are available and volunteers are organized, both on a national and a regional level. This study provides a descriptive overview of volunteer work in palliative care in 7 European countries, with a focus on the organizational aspects. Further research should concentrate on the roles and responsibilities of volunteers in the care for the terminally ill in different European health systems. © 2014 World Institute of Pain.

To be a trained and supported volunteer in palliative care - a phenomenological study.

PubMed

Söderhamn, Ulrika; Flateland, Sylvi; Fensli, Marthe; Skaar, Ragnhild

2017-03-14

It has been found that including volunteers in palliative care is a positive contribution to seriously ill patients. It is, however, recommended that the volunteers are trained and supported. The aim of this study was to describe a group of trained and supported volunteers' lived experiences as volunteers in palliative care within the community health care services. This study adopted a descriptive phenomenological approach featuring individual interviews with nine volunteers. The interviews were analysed using the descriptive phenomenological research method according to Giorgi. Being a volunteer in palliative care was both a positive and meaningful experience. It was a privilege being able to help those in need, which yielded positive returns. As a volunteer, it was important to be present for the ill persons and to follow them in their various physical and psychical states, which also implied that the volunteer had to face and deal with challenging situations. However, volunteers stated it was crucial to possess knowledge and life experience, as well as a clarified role, and they stressed the importance of being followed up by a mentor. The findings showed that trained and supported volunteers among seriously ill or dying people within the realm of community health care services play an independent and important role in the palliative care team. A coordinator in palliative care is especially suitable for training and supporting the volunteers.

Volunteer provision of long-term care for older people in Thailand and Costa Rica.

PubMed

Lloyd-Sherlock, Peter; Pot, Anne Margriet; Sasat, Siriphan; Morales-Martinez, Fernando

2017-11-01

Demand for long-term care services for older people is increasing rapidly in low- and middle-income countries. Countries need to establish national long-term care systems that are sustainable and equitable. The Governments of Costa Rica and Thailand have implemented broadly comparable interventions to deploy volunteers in long-term home care. Both countries trained older volunteers from local communities to make home visits to impoverished and vulnerable older people and to facilitate access to health services and other social services. Costa Rica and Thailand are upper-middle-income countries with strong traditions of community-based health services that they are now extending into long-term care for older people. Between 2003 and 2013 Thailand's programme trained over 51 000 volunteers, reaching almost 800 000 older people. Between 2010 and 2016 Costa Rica established 50 community care networks, serving around 10 000 people and involving over 5000 volunteers. Despite some evidence of benefits to the physical and mental health of older people and greater uptake of other services, a large burden of unmet care needs and signs of a growth of unregulated private services still exist. There is scope for low- and middle-income countries to develop large-scale networks of community-based long-term care volunteers. The capacity of volunteers to enhance the quality of life of clients is affected by the local availability of care services. Volunteer care networks should be complemented by other initiatives, including training about health in later life for volunteers, and investment in community long-term care services.

Local and global volunteer opportunities for pharmacists to contribute to public health.

PubMed

Angelo, Lauren B; Maffeo, Carrie M

2011-06-01

There are many local and global volunteer opportunities for pharmacists to contribute to public health initiatives that help promote health, prevent disease and improve access to care. This article provides perspective and guidance for pharmacists and student pharmacists who desire to take part in volunteer initiatives related to local and global public health needs. The case examples provided are limited to activities that occurred strictly in a volunteer capacity. Pharmacists serving in a volunteer capacity have an opportunity to broaden their depth of practice and patient care responsibilities. Their skills sets and knowledge can be applied in a variety of public health settings to help meet the health care needs of the communities and patients they serve. Emergency response and caring for the underserved are recurring themes within the volunteer opportunities afforded to pharmacists. Examples include, but are not limited to, the US Medical Reserve Corps, health departments, health centres and clinics, medical service trips and disaster relief. Regardless of setting, the volunteer pharmacist will need to consider scope of practice limitations and certain legal protections. An array of volunteer opportunities exists for pharmacists and student pharmacists in the public health arena. Participating in these events allows pharmacists to expand their practice experiences while contributing to public health needs and outreach. © 2011 The Authors. IJPP © 2011 Royal Pharmaceutical Society.

Primary care provision by volunteer medical brigades in Honduras: a health record review of more than 2,500 patients over three years.

PubMed

Martiniuk, Alexandra L C; Adunuri, Nikesh; Negin, Joel; Tracey, Patti; Fontecha, Claudio; Caldwell, Paul

2012-01-01

The weak health system in Honduras contributes to poor health indicators. To improve population health, a number of volunteer medical brigades from developed countries provide health services in Honduras. To date, there is little information on the brigades' activities and impact. The primary objective of this article is to increase understanding of the type of health care provided by voluntary medical brigades by evaluating and presenting data on patients' presenting symptoms, diagnoses, and care outcomes. The article focuses on an ongoing medical brigade organized by Canadian health professionals in conjunction with Honduras' largest national non-governmental organization. This is a descriptive study of data that are routinely collected by volunteer Canadian health care professionals. Data on all patients presenting to temporary primary health care facilities across Honduras between 2006 and 2009 were analyzed. The data were used to analyze patient demographics, presenting symptoms, diagnoses, and treatments. We found that the brigades provide additional human resources to the relatively weak Honduran health care system. However, while brigades may increase solidarity between Hondurans and Canadians, concerns persist regarding cost-effectiveness and continuity of care for conditions treated by short-term brigade volunteers. Greater scrutiny is needed to increase brigades' effectiveness and ensure they are supportive of domestic health systems.

Does Volunteering Experience Influence Advance Care Planning in Old Age?

PubMed

Shen, Huei-Wern; Khosla, Nidhi

2016-07-01

Advance care planning (ACP) increases the likelihood patients will receive end-of-life care that is congruent with their preferences and lowers stress among both patients and caregivers. Previous efforts to increase ACP have mainly focused on information provision in the very late stage of life. This study examines whether a relationship exists between volunteering and ACP, and whether this relationship is associated with social support. The sample comprises 877 individuals who were aged 55+ in 2008, and were deceased before 2010. The sample is derived from seven waves (1998-2010) of data from the Health and Retirement Study. Logistic regression results showed that overall ACP and durable power of attorney for health care (DPAHC) were both higher (OR = 1.61 and 1.71, respectively) for older adults with volunteering experience in the past 10 years than those without such experience. Available social support (relatives and friends living nearby) was not associated with the relationship between volunteering and ACP. Other factors related to ACP included poorer health, death being expected, death due to cancer, older age, and being a racial minority. Involving older people in volunteer work may help to increase ACP. Future research is encouraged to identify reasons for the association between volunteering and ACP.

Hospice palliative care volunteers: the benefits for patients, family caregivers, and the volunteers.

PubMed

Claxton-Oldfield, Stephen

2015-06-01

Terminally ill patients and family caregivers can benefit greatly from the support and care provided by trained hospice palliative care volunteers. The benefits of doing this kind of volunteer work also extend to the volunteers themselves, who often say they receive more than they give from the patients/families they are "privileged" to be with. The purpose of this article is to demonstrate how hospice palliative care volunteerism benefits both the patients and families who utilize this service as well as the volunteers. A review of studies demonstrating how terminally ill patients, and especially family caregivers, can benefit from the use of hospice palliative care volunteers and how the volunteers themselves benefit from their experiences. Terminally ill patients and families receive many benefits from using the services of hospice palliative care volunteers, including emotional support, companionship, and practical assistance (e.g., respite or breaks from caregiving). Volunteering in hospice palliative care also provides many benefits for the volunteers, including being able to make a difference in the lives of others, personal growth, and greater appreciation of what is really important in life. More needs to be done to promote the value of hospice palliative care volunteers to those who can really benefit from their support and care (i.e., patients and their families) as well as to help people recognize the potential rewards of being a hospice palliative care volunteer. It is a win-win situation.

Is volunteering a public health intervention? A systematic review and meta-analysis of the health and survival of volunteers.

PubMed

Jenkinson, Caroline E; Dickens, Andy P; Jones, Kerry; Thompson-Coon, Jo; Taylor, Rod S; Rogers, Morwenna; Bambra, Clare L; Lang, Iain; Richards, Suzanne H

2013-08-23

Volunteering has been advocated by the United Nations, and American and European governments as a way to engage people in their local communities and improve social capital, with the potential for public health benefits such as improving wellbeing and decreasing health inequalities. Furthermore, the US Corporation for National and Community Service Strategic Plan for 2011-2015 focused on increasing the impact of national service on community needs, supporting volunteers' wellbeing, and prioritising recruitment and engagement of underrepresented populations. The aims of this review were to examine the effect of formal volunteering on volunteers' physical and mental health and survival, and to explore the influence of volunteering type and intensity on health outcomes. Experimental and cohort studies comparing the physical and mental health outcomes and mortality of a volunteering group to a non-volunteering group were identified from twelve electronic databases (Cochrane Library, Medline, Embase, PsychINFO, CINAHL, ERIC, HMIC, SSCI, ASSIA, Social Care Online, Social Policy and Practice) and citation tracking in January 2013. No language, country or date restrictions were applied. Data synthesis was based on vote counting and random effects meta-analysis of mortality risk ratios. Forty papers were selected: five randomised controlled trials (RCTs, seven papers); four non-RCTs; and 17 cohort studies (29 papers). Cohort studies showed volunteering had favourable effects on depression, life satisfaction, wellbeing but not on physical health. These findings were not confirmed by experimental studies. Meta-analysis of five cohort studies found volunteers to be at lower risk of mortality (risk ratio: 0.78; 95% CI: 0.66, 0.90). There was insufficient evidence to demonstrate a consistent influence of volunteering type or intensity on outcomes. Observational evidence suggested that volunteering may benefit mental health and survival although the causal mechanisms remain

Nurses' perceptions of hospice palliative care volunteers.

PubMed

Claxton-Oldfield, Stephen; Hastings, Emily; Claxton-Oldfield, Jane

2008-01-01

A total of 50 nurses (hospital and home care) responded to a survey designed to measure: (1) their attitudes toward, and knowledge of, hospice palliative care volunteers; (2) the types of tasks they felt it was appropriate for volunteers to perform; and (3) how valuable they felt different members of the hospice palliative care team are. In addition, they were asked to respond to some open-ended questions (eg, "Do you feel that it is appropriate for hospice palliative care volunteers to know patient medical information?"). The nurses' responses to the "Attitude/Knowledge" part of the survey revealed that they generally held positive attitudes toward volunteers. The majority of the nurses felt that it was appropriate for volunteers to perform most of the tasks listed, except for hands-on patient care. Nurses rated the value of nurses, family members, doctors, and pharmacists significantly higher than volunteers. Fifty-three percent of the nurses felt that volunteers should know patient medical information, and 77% thought that volunteers should have the opportunity to provide input regarding patient care. Also, 75% of the nurses felt that volunteers made their jobs easier, and 56% felt that volunteers should be included in team meetings. When asked to list the topics covered in a hospice palliative care volunteer training program, 73% of the nurses indicated that they were not sure or did not know what topics were covered, indicating a lack of knowledge regarding volunteer training.

Is volunteering a public health intervention? A systematic review and meta-analysis of the health and survival of volunteers

PubMed Central

2013-01-01

Background Volunteering has been advocated by the United Nations, and American and European governments as a way to engage people in their local communities and improve social capital, with the potential for public health benefits such as improving wellbeing and decreasing health inequalities. Furthermore, the US Corporation for National and Community Service Strategic Plan for 2011–2015 focused on increasing the impact of national service on community needs, supporting volunteers’ wellbeing, and prioritising recruitment and engagement of underrepresented populations. The aims of this review were to examine the effect of formal volunteering on volunteers’ physical and mental health and survival, and to explore the influence of volunteering type and intensity on health outcomes. Methods Experimental and cohort studies comparing the physical and mental health outcomes and mortality of a volunteering group to a non-volunteering group were identified from twelve electronic databases (Cochrane Library, Medline, Embase, PsychINFO, CINAHL, ERIC, HMIC, SSCI, ASSIA, Social Care Online, Social Policy and Practice) and citation tracking in January 2013. No language, country or date restrictions were applied. Data synthesis was based on vote counting and random effects meta-analysis of mortality risk ratios. Results Forty papers were selected: five randomised controlled trials (RCTs, seven papers); four non-RCTs; and 17 cohort studies (29 papers). Cohort studies showed volunteering had favourable effects on depression, life satisfaction, wellbeing but not on physical health. These findings were not confirmed by experimental studies. Meta-analysis of five cohort studies found volunteers to be at lower risk of mortality (risk ratio: 0.78; 95% CI: 0.66, 0.90). There was insufficient evidence to demonstrate a consistent influence of volunteering type or intensity on outcomes. Conclusion Observational evidence suggested that volunteering may benefit mental health and survival

Burden experienced by community health volunteers in Taiwan: a survey

PubMed Central

2013-01-01

Background Volunteers in Taiwan complement the delivery of health services by paid health professionals. However, in doing so, community health volunteers experience burdens associated with their activities. The reasons for these burdens and degree to which they are experienced are explored in this paper. Our study adds to international research regarding the burden experienced by volunteers. This project is the first to assess how community health volunteers in Taiwan experience burden. Methods The 20 item Burden on Community Health Volunteer (BCHV) instrument, specifically designed for this project, was administered to 435 volunteers attached to Community Health Promotion Development Centres in northern Taiwan. Results The overall burden experienced by volunteers is relatively low. However, a multivariate adjusted regression analysis revealed significant differences in volunteer burden depending on the number of people each volunteer served on average per week, as well as the volunteer’s marital status and their perceptions about personal health. Volunteers who served many people and who perceived their own health as poor experienced a higher level of burden. Those who were a widow or a widower felt less burdened than others. Conclusions The results of the study identify areas where burden is high and where strategies can be developed to reduce the level of burden experienced by community health volunteers in Taiwan. Community health volunteers in Taiwan complement the role of nurses and other health care providers so their retention is important to ongoing service delivery. PMID:23687966

Volunteering, income and health.

PubMed

Detollenaere, Jens; Willems, Sara; Baert, Stijn

2017-01-01

Separate literatures have related volunteering to health gains and income gains. We study the association between volunteering, income and health within one statistical framework. A state-of-the-art mediation analysis is conducted on data concerning the health, volunteering and sociodemographic characteristics of 42926 individuals within 29 European countries. We find that volunteering is positively associated to self-rated health. This association is partially mediated by household income.

Volunteering, income and health

PubMed Central

Detollenaere, Jens; Willems, Sara

2017-01-01

Separate literatures have related volunteering to health gains and income gains. We study the association between volunteering, income and health within one statistical framework. A state-of-the-art mediation analysis is conducted on data concerning the health, volunteering and sociodemographic characteristics of 42926 individuals within 29 European countries. We find that volunteering is positively associated to self-rated health. This association is partially mediated by household income. PMID:28273163

Research report--Volunteer infant feeding and care counselors: a health education intervention to improve mother and child health and reduce mortality in rural Malawi.

PubMed

Rosato, Mikey; Lewycka, Sonia; Mwansambo, Charles; Kazembe, Peter; Phiri, Tambosi; Chapota, Hilda; Vergnano, Stefania; Newell, Marie-Louise; Osrin, David; Costello, Anthony

2012-06-01

The aim of this report is to describe a health education intervention involving volunteer infant feeding and care counselors being implemented in Mchinji district, Malawi. The intervention was established in January 2004 and involves 72 volunteer infant feeding and care counselors, supervised by 24 government Health Surveillance Assistants, covering 355 villages in Mchinji district. It aims to change the knowledge, attitudes and behaviour of women to promote exclusive breastfeeding and other infant care practices. The main target population are women of child bearing age who are visited at five key points during pregnancy and after birth. Where possible, their partners are also involved. The visits cover exclusive breastfeeding and other important neonatal and infant care practices. Volunteers are provided with an intervention manual and picture book. Resource inputs are low and include training allowances and equipment for counselors and supervisors, and a salary, equipment and materials for a coordinator. It is hypothesized that the counselors will encourage informational and attitudinal change to enhance motivation and risk reduction skills and self-efficacy to promote exclusive breastfeeding and other infant care practices and reduce infant mortality. The impact is being evaluated through a cluster randomised controlled trial and results will be reported in 2012.

Volunteers' Experiences Delivering a Community-University Chronic Disease Health Awareness Program for South Asian Older Adults.

PubMed

Ford-Jones, Polly; Daly, Tamara

2017-12-01

Volunteers and voluntary organizations can connect preventative health care programs to communities and may play an important role in addressing the health needs of older adults. Despite this, tensions may exist in the structures that drive volunteers and voluntary organizations representing immigrant communities to provide unpaid labour to augment and supplement health care services. Furthermore, organizational challenges may exist for community agencies relying on volunteers to sustain a health screening and education program. The intervention program was led by one voluntary agency specifically for South Asian communities in partnership with the university and five local organizations. This paper draws on volunteer surveys (n = 22) and key informant interviews (n = 12) to detail volunteer experiences providing this intervention. Volunteers were university students and other community volunteers. A total of 810 adults participated in the intervention within the Greater Toronto Area, Ontario, Canada between October 2014 and June 2016. We found that volunteers often used their experience as a 'stepping stone' position to other education or work. They also gained from the knowledge and used it to educate themselves and their family members and friends. This paper provides a critical reflection on the role of volunteers in a preventative and educational healthcare intervention program for older adults from the South Asian community. Tensions exist when relying on volunteer labour for the implementation of preventative community health care programming and must be explored to ensure program sustainability as well as equity within the health care system.

Retired RNs: perceptions of volunteering.

PubMed

Cocca-Bates, Katherine C; Neal-Boylan, Leslie

2011-01-01

A qualitative study was done to explore the perceptions of volunteering among retired registered nurses (RNs) in Kansas. Participants were volunteers in formal nursing roles or were using their nursing knowledge and experience in non-nursing roles, such as church work. Regardless of the type of volunteer position, retired RNs reported that they use what they have learned as nurses when they volunteer. Volunteering benefits include enhanced self-worth, intellectual stimulation, reduced social isolation, and opportunities to help others. Increased paperwork, new technology, difficulty finding nursing-specific volunteer opportunities, resistance from health care organizations, and a lack of respect for what these nurses know are challenges and barriers to volunteering. Retired RNs have accumulated years of clinical nursing experience and can be helpful to employed nurses. Health care organizations should launch targeted efforts to recruit and utilize retired RN volunteers. Health care professionals who care for older adults should recommend volunteering as a healthful endeavor. Copyright © 2011 Mosby, Inc. All rights reserved.

Medical volunteering: giving something back.

PubMed

Reynolds, Herbert Y

2006-01-01

A national health issue is how to provide medical care for the large number of people who are uninsured or do not qualify for medical coverage. Establishing free health clinics staffed by volunteer health professionals is one approach that is increasing, but this alone will not solve this societal problem. Many volunteer health care providers are needed, and more senior and retired physicians might be recruited. However, practicing general, not subspeciality, medicine in an unfamiliar surrounding with different patient demands may seem intimidating and anxiety producing. However, a conducive clinical environment and working with other volunteer health care staff may alleviate these feelings and make medical volunteering very enjoyable. The Mercy Health Clinic in Montgomery County, Maryland, has had this effect on us who volunteer there and care for its needy patients.

A proposal for a spiritual care assessment toolkit for religious volunteers and volunteer service users.

PubMed

Liu, Yi-Jung

2014-10-01

Based on the idea that volunteer services in healthcare settings should focus on the service users' best interests and providing holistic care for the body, mind, and spirit, the aim of this study was to propose an assessment toolkit for assessing the effectiveness of religious volunteers and improving their service. By analyzing and categorizing the results of previous studies, we incorporated effective care goals and methods in the proposed religious and spiritual care assessment toolkit. Two versions of the toolkit were created. The service users' version comprises 10 questions grouped into the following five dimensions: "physical care," "psychological and emotional support," "social relationships," "religious and spiritual care," and "hope restoration." Each question could either be answered with "yes" or "no". The volunteers' version contains 14 specific care goals and 31 care methods, in addition to the 10 care dimensions in the residents' version. A small sample of 25 experts was asked to judge the usefulness of each of the toolkit items for evaluating volunteers' effectiveness. Although some experts questioned the volunteer's capacity, however, to improve the spiritual care capacity and effectiveness provided by volunteers is the main purpose of developing this assessment toolkit. The toolkit developed in this study may not be applicable to other countries, and only addressed patients' general spiritual needs. Volunteers should receive special training in caring for people with special needs.

[Volunteering in end-of-life care : Challenges, problems and perspectives].

PubMed

Schneider, Werner

2017-01-01

Volunteering in the hospice movement has had a profound impact on generating awareness of hospice work and palliative care in the context of supporting dying persons and their relatives as well as on integrating respective services in the existing health care system. This paper focuses on two specific questions: First, it asks how society is changing with respect to dealing with dying and death, and more precisely with dying persons, which is recognizable by the integration of hospice work and palliative care in the healthcare system and related to the relevance of volunteering in the sense of a citizens' movement. Second, this paper asks what the specific roles of volunteers are as well as the possibilities and limits of voluntary practice in end-of-life care and accompaniment. To answer these questions, the pivotal objectives of the hospice movement - the transformation of the social awareness regarding dying and death, as well as the reorganization of "institutions of dying" - will first be outlined by reference to the concept of "good dying", a specific hospice attitude together with hospice culture and palliative competence. In a second step, the relevance of volunteering and the specific role of volunteers in the actual practice of hospice work and palliative care will be outlined alongside current indicators and recognizable alteration tendencies, before concluding with a discussion of the perspectives of hospices as a citizens' movement.

Supporting the volunteer career of male hospice-palliative care volunteers.

PubMed

Weeks, Lori E; MacQuarrie, Colleen

2011-08-01

We invited men to discuss their volunteer careers with hospice-palliative care (HPC) to better understand how to recruit and train, retain and support, and then successfully end their volunteer experience. Nine male current or former HPC volunteers participated in face-to-face interviews which were transcribed and analyzed. The men described a complex interplay of individual characteristics with the unique roles available to HPC volunteers. The men's recruitment experiences coalesced around both individually based and organizationally based themes. Results pertaining to retention revealed the interchange between their personalities, the perks and pitfalls of the unique experiences of an HPC volunteer, and the value of the organization's support for these volunteers. Our interpretation of these experiences can help HPC organizations enhance their recruitment, retention, and support of male volunteers.

Relationship between health promotion volunteer experience and medical costs: Hoken-hodouin activities in Suzaka, Nagano.

PubMed

Imamura, Haruhiko; Murakami, Yoshitaka; Okamura, Tomonori; Nishiwaki, Yuji

2017-01-01

Objectives This study demonstrated the relationship between experience as a health promotion volunteer (Hoken-hodouin) and medical costs in Japan. The study area was Suzaka City (March 2016 population: 51,637) in Nagano Prefecture, Japan, where a total of about 300 women have been engaged and trained as health promotion volunteers since 1958.Methods A cross-sectional survey was conducted in 2014 using a self-administered questionnaire, which included items on experiences as a health promotion volunteer, age at engagement, leadership status, and satisfaction with the experience. Eligible study participants were all residents of Suzaka aged 65 years or over. Medical cost data from April 2013 to March 2014 were collected for women aged 65-74 years who were beneficiaries of the Japanese National Health Insurance (n=2,304). Medical consultation rates and costs for treatment at outpatient and inpatient clinics were analyzed as outcomes. Adjustments were made for age, marital status, educational level, cohabitation status, equivalent income, alcohol use, smoking status, awareness about a healthy diet, and walking time per day.Results Of the 2,304 study participants, 1,274 (55.3%) had experience as health promotion volunteers. Poisson regression analysis revealed that volunteers' experience was positively associated with outpatient care rates (adjusted relative risk [RR]=1.04; 95% confidence interval [CI]=1.02-1.07), and negatively associated with inpatient care rates (RR=0.74; 95% CI=0.56-0.98). Multivariate regression analysis revealed that the adjusted geometric means of outpatient and inpatient care costs were 7% and 23% lower, respectively, among participants with volunteer experience than that among those with no volunteer experience (140,588-151,465 JPY for outpatient costs; 418,457-539,971 JPY for inpatient costs). These associations were stronger among participants who began health promotion volunteer at age 60 years or more, those who had leadership roles

The personal value of being part of a Tropical Health Education Trust (THET) links programme to develop a palliative care degree programme in Sub Saharan Africa: a descriptive study of the views of volunteer UK health care professionals.

PubMed

Jack, B A; Kirton, J A; Downing, J; Frame, K

2015-12-14

There is a global need to expand palliative care services to reach the increasing number requiring end of life care. In developing countries where the incidences of cancer are rising there is an urgent need to develop the palliative care workforce. This paper reports on a UK Department for international development (DFID) initiative funded through the Tropical Health Education Trust (THET) where palliative care staff, both clinical and academic, volunteered to help to develop, support and deliver a degree in palliative care in sub-Saharan Africa. The objective of the study was to explore the personal impact on the health care professionals of being part of this initiative. An evaluation approach using a confidential electronic survey containing quantitative and qualitative questions was distributed to all 17 volunteers on the programme, three months after completion of the first cohort. Data were analysed using descriptive statistics and content thematic analysis. Ethical review deemed the study to be service evaluation. 82 % (14) responded and several themes emerged from the data including the positive impact on teaching and educational skills; clinical practice and finally personal development. Using a score of 1-10 (1-no impact, 10 maximum impact) 'Lifestyle choices - life work balance' (rating 7.83) had the most impact. This approach to supporting the development of palliative care in Sub-Saharan Africa through skill sharing in supporting the delivery of a degree programme in palliative care was successful in terms of delivery of the degree programme, material development and mentorship of local staff. Additionally, this study shows it provided a range of positive impacts on the volunteer health care professionals from the UK. Professional impacts including increased management skills, and being better prepared to undertake a senior role. However it is the personal impact including lifestyle choices which the volunteers reported as the highest impact

Retention and sustainability of community-based health volunteers' activities: A qualitative study in rural Northern Ghana.

PubMed

Chatio, Samuel; Akweongo, Patricia

2017-01-01

The shortage of formal health workers has led to the utilization of Community-Based Health Volunteers (CBHV) to provide health care services to people especially in rural and neglected communities. Community-based health volunteers have been effective partners in health care delivery at the community level for many years. The challenge is how to retain these volunteers and also sustain their activities. This study explored factors affecting retention and sustainability of community-based health volunteers' activities in a rural setting in Northern Ghana. This was a qualitative study comprising thirty-two in-depth interviews (IDIs) with health volunteers and health workers in-charge of health volunteers' activities. Purposive sampling technique was used to select study participants for the interviews. The interviews were transcribed and coded into themes using Nvivo 10 software. The thematic analysis framework was used to analyze the data. Study participants reported that the desire to help community members, prestige and recognition as doctors in community mainly motivated them to work as health volunteers. Lack of incentives and logistical supplies such as raincoats, torch lights, wellington boots and transportation in the form of bicycles to facilitate the movement of health volunteers affected the work. They suggested that lack of these things discouraged them from working as health volunteers. Most of the dropout volunteers said lack of support and respect from community members made them to stop working as health volunteers. They recommended that community support, incentives and logistical supplies such as raincoats, torch light, wellington boots, bicycles, awards to hard working volunteers are mechanisms that can help retain community-based health volunteers and also sustain their activities. Providing means of transport and non-monetary incentives would help to retain community-based health volunteers and also sustain their activities at the community level.

End-of-life care volunteers: a systematic review of the literature.

PubMed

Wilson, Donna M; Justice, Christopher; Thomas, Roger; Sheps, Sam; Macadam, Margaret; Brown, Margaret

2005-11-01

This report presents a review of 1988 and onwards research and other literature on end-of-life (EOL) care volunteers. Only 18 research or case studies articles were identified for an integrative review through a search of nine library databases. A review of this literature revealed three themes: (1) the roles of EOL volunteers, (2) volunteer training and other organizational needs or requirements, and (3) outcomes, particularly the impact of volunteering on volunteers and the impact of volunteers on EOL care. Despite limited statistical evidence, the available literature on EOL care volunteers clearly indicates that considerable potential benefit can be derived from EOL care volunteers' contributions, with their efforts benefiting dying persons, their families, paid EOL staff, and the volunteers themselves. More specifically, willing volunteers, particularly those with diverse skills and abilities, have the potential to significantly and positively impact EOL care in that they can perform many necessary and extra functions of value. Volunteers often augment and enhance the range of EOL care services provided to terminally ill individuals and their families. Volunteers should also be recognized as increasing the accessibility of EOL care. The role of the volunteer is not without challenge, however, both for the individuals who volunteer and the organizations that must orient them and provide a meaningful role for them.

Retention and sustainability of community-based health volunteers' activities: A qualitative study in rural Northern Ghana

PubMed Central

Chatio, Samuel; Akweongo, Patricia

2017-01-01

Background The shortage of formal health workers has led to the utilization of Community-Based Health Volunteers (CBHV) to provide health care services to people especially in rural and neglected communities. Community-based health volunteers have been effective partners in health care delivery at the community level for many years. The challenge is how to retain these volunteers and also sustain their activities. This study explored factors affecting retention and sustainability of community-based health volunteers’ activities in a rural setting in Northern Ghana. Methods This was a qualitative study comprising thirty-two in-depth interviews (IDIs) with health volunteers and health workers in-charge of health volunteers’ activities. Purposive sampling technique was used to select study participants for the interviews. The interviews were transcribed and coded into themes using Nvivo 10 software. The thematic analysis framework was used to analyze the data. Results Study participants reported that the desire to help community members, prestige and recognition as doctors in community mainly motivated them to work as health volunteers. Lack of incentives and logistical supplies such as raincoats, torch lights, wellington boots and transportation in the form of bicycles to facilitate the movement of health volunteers affected the work. They suggested that lack of these things discouraged them from working as health volunteers. Most of the dropout volunteers said lack of support and respect from community members made them to stop working as health volunteers. They recommended that community support, incentives and logistical supplies such as raincoats, torch light, wellington boots, bicycles, awards to hard working volunteers are mechanisms that can help retain community-based health volunteers and also sustain their activities. Conclusion Providing means of transport and non-monetary incentives would help to retain community-based health volunteers and also

Formal and informal maternal health care: comparing the service provision of health facilities and village health volunteers in East Sepik Province.

PubMed

O'Keefe, Daniel; Davis, Jessica; Yakuna, Glenda; Van Gemert, Caroline; Morgan, Chris

2011-01-01

Maternal health across Papua New Guinea (PNG) is of extreme public health concern. In response, the National Department of Health explicitly prioritized improving maternal, neonatal and child health services, envisaging increased collaboration between the formal health system and community-based initiatives as one method for achieving this. This study examined the patterns of formal and non-formal service utilization during pregnancy and childbirth in one province. We analysed the activity database of the East Sepik Women and Children's Health Project's Village Health Volunteer (VHV) program, an informal health service in East Sepik Province of PNG, estimating VHV activity and coverage for two maternal health care services (first antenatal care visit and VHV-attended deliveries) and comparing these to the volume and estimated coverage of these services delivered by the formal health system in East Sepik over the years 2007 to 2010. We found a significant increase in women's utilization of VHVs for first antenatal care and for an attended delivery. Reported coverage of these services delivered by the formal health service declined or at best remained static over the same time period. Our data cannot illuminate the causes of an apparent and highly concerning decline in health facility usage for assisted delivery, nor the reasons for increased usage of VHVs. The factors contributing to these trends in service provision require urgent study, to improve our understanding of the drivers of utilization of critical maternal health services. Our study demonstrates that VHVs deliver a substantial proportion of maternal health services in East Sepik. This finding alone highlights the importance of considering this cadre when planning health service improvements and suggests that a national VHV policy that builds on the work of the National Health Plan in defining the most appropriate role for VHVs in maternal health care is long overdue.

Challenges faced by health volunteers in comprehensive health centers in the southwest of Iran: A qualitative content analysis.

PubMed

Vizeshfar, Fatemeh; Momennasab, Marzieh; Yektatalab, Shahrzad; Iman, Mohamad Taghi

2018-01-01

Introduction: Health volunteers are employed to execute governmental health promotion programs in most countries around the world. The present study aimed to assess the challenges of health volunteers program to provide a better understanding of the present situation. Methods: This study was conducted using a qualitative approach. 14 participants were selected purposively selected from two comprehensive health care centers in the southwest of Iran. The data were collected through 14 semi-structured interviews, 2 observations, and 3 diaries and analyzed using content analysis. Results: Data analysis resulted in emergence four themes, namely role confusion, the inefficiency of volunteers training, the inefficiency of attraction and maintenance of volunteers, and being unknown to people. Unfertilized capacity is the main theme extracted from all themes. Conclusion: Health volunteers' perfect accomplishment of roles will have a positive impact on the provision of primary healthcare services and health objectives. Hence, comprehensive planning based on the needs of health volunteers will change them into a strong arm in the health system. Thus, managerial support and precise planning seem to be necessary for facing these challenges.

Perceived stress and burnout among volunteer caregivers working in AIDS care in South Africa.

PubMed

Akintola, Olagoke; Hlengwa, Wellington Mthokozisi; Dageid, Wenche

2013-12-01

To conduct a quantitative investigation of stress and the relationship with burnout among AIDS care volunteers. Volunteer caregivers experience stress that could lead to burnout. Yet, very few studies quantify stress and its relationship with burnout among AIDS care volunteers. This study uses a cross-sectional, exploratory survey design. Face-to-face interviews were conducted with 126 volunteer caregivers working in 13 semi-rural communities (townships) in Durban, South Africa in April 2009. All participants were women, Christian and with low levels of education. A 22-item instrument was drawn from Pearlin et al.'s role overload and role captivity scales, Van Dyk's stress factor scale and the Maslach Burnout Inventory. Most of the volunteers had moderate-to-high levels of stress. 'Role/work overload' 'lack of support' and 'overwhelming nature of the disease' explained most of the variance in stress. Volunteers' age and number of patients in their care were predictors of stress. Caring for only AIDS patients, lack of support, stress emanating from perceived stigma and lack of training; and the overwhelming nature of AIDS were predictors of burnout. High levels of stress could negatively impact volunteers' health and well-being and on-the-job performance. Policy makers must develop and fund home-based care models that take into account the stressors associated with AIDS care, by reducing the work load, providing ongoing psychosocial support and recruiting nurses to assist volunteers. The small non-probability sample used in this study highlights the need to treat the findings with caution. © 2013 John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

The personal value of being a palliative care Community Volunteer Worker in Uganda: a qualitative study.

PubMed

Jack, Barbara A; Kirton, Jennifer A; Birakurataki, Jerith; Merriman, Anne

2012-07-01

Volunteers in palliative care play a key role, particularly in the hospice setting. The expansion of palliative care into developing countries has been accompanied by the emergence of volunteer workers, who are providing a main source of support and care for patients, many of whom never see a health professional. The aim of this study was to evaluate the motivation for becoming a volunteer and the personal impact of being a palliative care Community Volunteer Worker in Uganda. A qualitative methodology using semi-structured individual and group digitally recorded interviews was adopted for the study. Data were analysed for emerging themes using thematic analysis. Forty-three interviews were undertaken, 32 with Community Volunteer Workers and 11 with the Hospice clinical teams, using semi-structured digitally recorded individual, group and focus group interviews at the Hospice Africa sites in Uganda. The results identified the cultural wish to help people as a key motivator in becoming a volunteer. Additionally, the volunteers reported having a sense of pride in their volunteering role, and this role had a positive impact on their perceived status in their local community. This model of volunteering is clearly having an impact on the volunteers, both personally and also in terms of how they are treated in their communities. Further research to explore the long-term personal benefits of being a palliative care volunteer is recommended.

Ethical issues for hospice volunteers.

PubMed

Berry, Patricia; Planalp, Sally

Health care professionals usually receive professional education in ethics, but the half million hospice volunteers in the United States may receive only brief training that is limited to confidentiality and the volunteer role. The purpose of this study was to explore ethical issues hospice volunteers confront in their work. Interviews with 39 hospice volunteers were conducted, audio recorded, transcribed, and analyzed using qualitative methods. Prominent themes were dilemmas about gifts, patient care and family concerns, issues related to volunteer roles and boundaries, and issues surrounding suicide and hastening death. Suggestions for training include discussions of ethics after initial training once volunteers had confronted ethical issues, with special emphasis on strategies for negotiating their uneasy role positioned between health care professional and friend.

Don't volunteer for trouble.

PubMed

Gale, J

1997-01-01

Gone are the days when volunteer activity was limited to delivering flowers and mail to inpatient rooms. Today's volunteers extend the capacity of health care organizations to provide compassionate and caring service by staffing immunization programs, conducting health screening activities and more. With increased reliance on volunteers and increased responsibility placed on volunteers, it is important that they are protected from any personal liability that may be incurred while working on behalf of your organization. It is equally important that the organization is protected from liability incurred by the acts or omissions of its volunteers.

Expanding Continuous Quality Improvement Capacity in the Medical Intensive Care Unit: Prehealth Volunteers as a Solution.

PubMed

Priest, Kelsey C; Lobingier, Hannah; McCully, Nancy; Lombard, Jackie; Hansen, Mark; Uchiyama, Makoto; Hagg, Daniel S

2016-01-01

Health care delivery systems are challenged to support the increasing demands for improving patient safety, satisfaction, and outcomes. Limited resources and staffing are common barriers for making significant and sustained improvements. At Oregon Health & Science University, the medical intensive care unit (MICU) leadership team faced internal capacity limitations for conducting continuous quality improvement, specifically for the implementation and evaluation of the mobility portion of an evidence-based care bundle. The MICU team successfully addressed this capacity challenge using the person power of prehealth volunteers. In the first year of the project, 52 trained volunteers executed an evidence-based mobility intervention for 305 critically ill patients, conducting more than 200 000 exercise repetitions. The volunteers contributed to real-time evaluation of the project, with the collection of approximately 26 950 process measure data points. Prehealth volunteers are an untapped resource for effectively expanding internal continuous quality improvement capacity in the MICU and beyond.

Cultural competency and diversity among hospice palliative care volunteers.

PubMed

Jovanovic, Maja

2012-05-01

This case study examines the current state of cultural competence in hospice and palliative care in the Greater Toronto Area (GTA). Because of changing demographic trends and ethnic minorities underutilizing hospice palliative care services, this research examined the current state of culturally competent care in a hospice setting, and the challenges to providing culturally competent care in a hospice in the GTA. A case study was conducted with a hospice and included in-depth interviews with 14 hospice volunteers. The findings reveal that volunteers encountered cultural clashes when their level of cultural competency was weak. Second, volunteers revealed there was a lack of adequate cultural competency training with their hospice, and finally, there was a lack of ethnic, cultural, and linguistic diversity among the hospice volunteers.

Challenges faced by health volunteers in comprehensive health centers in the southwest of Iran: A qualitative content analysis

PubMed Central

Vizeshfar, Fatemeh; Momennasab, Marzieh; Yektatalab, Shahrzad; Iman, Mohamad Taghi

2018-01-01

Introduction:Health volunteers are employed to execute governmental health promotion programs in most countries around the world. The present study aimed to assess the challenges of health volunteers program to provide a better understanding of the present situation. Methods:This study was conducted using a qualitative approach. 14 participants were selected purposively selected from two comprehensive health care centers in the southwest of Iran. The data were collected through 14 semi-structured interviews, 2 observations, and 3 diaries and analyzed using content analysis. Results:Data analysis resulted in emergence four themes, namely role confusion, the inefficiency of volunteers training, the inefficiency of attraction and maintenance of volunteers, and being unknown to people. Unfertilized capacity is the main theme extracted from all themes. Conclusion:Health volunteers’ perfect accomplishment of roles will have a positive impact on the provision of primary healthcare services and health objectives. Hence, comprehensive planning based on the needs of health volunteers will change them into a strong arm in the health system. Thus, managerial support and precise planning seem to be necessary for facing these challenges. PMID:29696067

Experiences of volunteering: a partnership between service users and a mental health service in the UK.

PubMed

Fegan, Colette; Cook, Sarah

2012-01-01

The aim of the study was to investigate how people with serious mental illness perceived the experience of volunteering for the health care organisation in which they had received a service. The study took a qualitative approach and in phase one, eleven service user volunteers were purposefully sampled and interviewed. In depth interviews were analysed using grounded theory. This paper describes the findings from phase one, and highlights the following themes to represent the volunteering experience: 1) rehearsing for a new direction; 2) treading carefully at first; 3) discovering my new self; and, 4) using my experience and extending relationships. These themes further support a tentative theoretical framework that considers supported volunteering to enhance recovery because it fosters positive risk taking and gives individuals a valued identity that integrates their mental health experience. In phase two, this framework will be tested with service users in more diverse volunteer positions. The findings of my study suggest that mental health services are in a unique position to build partnerships with service users to support their recovery and journeys toward employment by providing opportunities for volunteering.

Effects on health of volunteers deployed during a disaster.

PubMed

Swygard, Heidi; Stafford, Renae E

2009-09-01

Little is known about the risks, hazards, and health outcomes for health care personnel and volunteers working in disaster relief. We sought to characterize risks and outcomes in volunteers deployed to provide relief for victims of Hurricane Katrina. We performed a longitudinal e-mail survey that assessed preventive measures taken before and during deployment, exposures to hazards while deployed, and health outcomes at 1, 3, and 6 months postdeployment. Overall response rate was 36.1 per cent and one-third of those who responded did so for all three surveys. Exposures to different types of hazards changed over time with exposures to contaminated water being common. Despite predeployment and on-site education, use of preventive measures such as vaccination, appropriate clothing, hydration, sunscreen, and insect repellant was variable. Few injuries were sustained. Insect bites were common despite the use of insect repellants. Skin lesions, diarrhea, and other gastrointestinal complaints occurred most commonly early on during or after deployment. Psychological complaints were common at 3 and 6 months. In conclusion, identification of at risk volunteer cohorts with longitudinal surveillance is critical for future disaster planning to provide training for volunteers and workers and to allow for deployment of appropriate resources pre, during, and postdeployment.

Holding on to what you have got: keeping hospice palliative care volunteers volunteering.

PubMed

Claxton-Oldfield, Stephen; Jones, Richard

2013-08-01

In all, 119 hospice palliative care volunteers from 3 community-based hospice programs completed the Volunteer Retention Questionnaire (VRQ), a 33-item survey designed for this study. The VRQ asks volunteers to rate the importance of each item to their decision to continue volunteering. The items that received the highest mean importance ratings included enjoying the work they do, feeling adequately prepared/trained to perform their role, and learning from their patients' experiences/listening to their patients' life stories. Being recognized (eg, pins for years of service or being profiled in the hospice newsletter), receiving phone calls/cards from their volunteer coordinator on special occasions, and being reimbursed for out-of-pocket expenses were among the items that received the lowest mean importance ratings. Suggestions for improving volunteer retention are provided.

WA4 Volunteering in partnership: a public health approach to delivering compassionate care to those at end of life and the frail elderly.

PubMed

Wilson, Gail

2015-04-01

Young people are often denied volunteering experiences with vulnerable dying people as this is considered to be 'too distressing'. This project challenged this paternalistic attitude and trained young people to volunteer in the hospice, and other organisations to enhance the delivery of compassionate care. To promote dignity in care, for older people, people with dementia, those at end of life and those with learning disabilities. To reduce social isolation and the stigma associated with dying and being old. To create new volunteering opportunities for young people to raise their awareness of the needs of the dying and the frail elderly. Develop a model of best practice - that could be replicated in other parts of the country. A health promotion approach was used combining education and a community development, partnership approach. Results 120 Volunteers delivered over 3,650 hrs of volunteering activities, supporting individuals to engage in social activities. The project broke myths about having 16-18 year olds volunteering. The relationship between the hospice and the local community has strengthened and the employability skills for the young people taking part have increased. 16% of those who responded to an exit survey had gained full time employment, 9% had gained university places. The personalisation of care for the frail elderly and those at end of life has increased by the use of volunteers. Young volunteers need mentoring. Staff needs support to feel confident to utilise the volunteers and let go of myths about risks. © 2015, Published by the BMJ Publishing Group Limited. For permission to use (where not already granted under a licence) please go to http://group.bmj.com/group/rights-licensing/permissions.

Caring to learn, learning to care: Inmate Hospice Volunteers and the Delivery of Prison End-of-Life Care

PubMed Central

Cloyes, Kristin G.; Rosenkranz, Susan J.; Supiano, Katherine P.; Berry, Patricia H.; Routt, Meghan; Llanque, Sarah M.; Shannon-Dorcy, Kathleen

2017-01-01

The increasing numbers of aging and chronically ill prisoners incarcerated in Western nations is well documented, as is the growing need for prison-based palliative and end-of-life care. Less often discussed is specifically how end-of-life care can and should be provided, by whom, and with what resources. One strategy incorporates prisoner volunteers into end-of-life services within a peer care program. This article reports on one such program based on focused ethnographic study including in-depth interviews with inmate hospice volunteers, nursing staff, and corrections officers working in the hospice program. We describe how inmate volunteers learn hospice care through formal education and training, supervised practice, guidance from more experienced inmates, and support from correctional staff. We discuss how emergent values of mentorship and stewardship are seen by volunteers and staff as integral to prison hospice sustainability and discuss implications of this volunteer-centric model for response-ability for the end-of-life care of prisoners. PMID:28100141

Hospice Palliative Care Volunteers: A Review of Commonly Encountered Stressors, How They Cope With them, and Implications for Volunteer Training/Management.

PubMed

Claxton-Oldfield, Stephen

2016-03-01

Hospice palliative care volunteer work--being with dying persons and their often distraught family members--has the potential to take an emotional toll on volunteers. The aim of this review article is to examine the types of stressors hospice palliative care volunteers typically experience in their work and how they cope with them. The results of this literature review suggest that hospice palliative care volunteers do not generally perceive their volunteer work as highly stressful. Nonetheless, a number of potential stressors and challenges were identified in the literature, along with some strategies that volunteers commonly employ to cope with them. The implications for volunteers and volunteer training/management are discussed. © The Author(s) 2015.

Grandparenting Roles and Volunteer Activity

PubMed Central

Jendrek, Margaret Platt

2016-01-01

Objectives. We examine whether grandparenting roles are related to formal volunteering among older adults. Method. Logistic regression is used to examine the likelihood of volunteering based on grandchild care using data from the 2004 wave of the Health and Retirement Study (n = 13,785). Longitudinal analyses utilize treatment effects models to examine changes in volunteering for grandparents who begin nonresidential grandchild care between the 2004 and 2008 waves (n = 10,811). Results. Results show that grandparents raising coresidential grandchildren have lower odds of volunteering than grandparents providing no regular grandchild care. However, grandparents who provide nonresidential grandchild care are more likely to volunteer than grandparents not providing grandchild care and those raising a coresidential grandchild. Grandparents who provide nonresidential care for grandchildren engage in more volunteering before assuming grandchild care, and their volunteerism increases after becoming a caregiver for a grandchild. Discussion. Consistent with resource theory and the accumulation of roles, providing nonresidential grandchild care may draw grandparents into formal volunteer activity. The lower human capital resources evidenced by grandparents raising coresidential grandchildren may play a role in their lower likelihood of formal volunteering. PMID:24721748

[Social organizations and governmental institutions: perspectives on partnerships in children's health care through volunteers and the Pastoral da Criança].

PubMed

Andrade, Raquel Dully; de Mello, Débora Falleiros

2006-03-01

The aim of this research is to present perspectives on partnerships between social organizations and governmental institutions in children's health care. This study reflects on social participation and relations between governmental and non-governmental services in constructing the consolidation of the Sistema Unico de Saúde (Unified Health System), highlighting the role of volunteers and health professionals in this process. In child care, these associations are potential, due to the wide range and prominence of social organizations oriented towards children, particularly the Pastoral da Criança (the Catholic Church's Child Pastoral), which makes it important to discuss public policies aimed at establishing and strengthening these links in the local and national spheres.

Veterans Health Administration's Disaster Emergency Medical Personnel System (DEMPS) Training Evaluation: Potential Implications for Disaster Health Care Volunteers.

PubMed

Schmitz, Susan; Radcliff, Tiffany A; Chu, Karen; Smith, Robert E; Dobalian, Aram

2018-02-20

The US Veterans Health Administration's Disaster Emergency Medical Personnel System (DEMPS) is a team of employee disaster response volunteers who provide clinical and non-clinical staffing assistance when local systems are overwhelmed. This study evaluated attitudes and recommendations of the DEMPS program to understand the impact of multi-modal training on volunteer perceptions. DEMPS volunteers completed an electronic survey in 2012 (n=2120). Three training modes were evaluated: online, field exercise, and face-to-face. Measures included: "Training Satisfaction," "Attitudes about Training," "Continued Engagement in DEMPS." Data were analyzed using χ2 and logistic regression. Open-ended questions were evaluated in a manner consistent with grounded theory methodology. Most respondents participated in DEMPS training (80%). Volunteers with multi-modal training who completed all 3 modes (14%) were significantly more likely to have positive attitudes about training, plan to continue as volunteers, and would recommend DEMPS to others (P-value<0.001). Some respondents requested additional interactive activities and suggested increased availability of training may improve volunteer engagement. A blended learning environment using multi-modal training methods, could enhance satisfaction and attitudes and possibly encourage continued engagement in DEMPS or similar programs. DEMPS training program modifications in 2015 expanded this blended learning approach through new interactive online learning opportunities. (Disaster Med Public Health Preparedness. 2018; page 1 of 8).

Promoting volunteer capacity in hospice palliative care: a narrative review.

PubMed

Pesut, Barbara; Hooper, Brenda; Lehbauer, Suzanne; Dalhuisen, Miranda

2014-02-01

Hospice volunteers play an essential role in the primary care network for end of life. The purpose of this review was to examine the evidence on hospice volunteers published between 2002 and July 2012. An electronic search of PubMed, CINAHL and PsychINFO using controlled vocabulary, and a reference scan, yielded 54 studies focusing on hospice volunteers. Studies were primarily descriptive using quantitative, qualitative and mixed methods. Findings from studies were grouped thematically into descriptions of the work of hospice volunteers; recruitment, preparation and retention of hospice volunteers; and perspectives and outcomes of the volunteer role. A substantial body of evidence exists describing the roles, stresses and rewards of hospice volunteering. Less is known about how to adequately recruit, prepare and retain volunteers. A small but intriguing body of evidence exists around volunteers' contributions to family satisfaction and patient longevity. Although the evidence around hospice volunteers continues to grow, there is an urgent need for further research. Findings indicate that volunteers make important contributions to high quality end of life care. However, more focused research attention is required to better understand how to maximize this contribution while providing better support for volunteers.

A volunteer companion-observer intervention reduces falls on an acute aged care ward.

PubMed

Donoghue, Judith; Graham, Jenny; Mitten-Lewis, Suzanne; Murphy, Moira; Gibbs, Julie

2005-01-01

Falls are the most frequently reported adverse event in hospitalised patients and carry a risk of great harm for the frail elderly. This intervention aimed to prevent high-risk in-patients on an acute aged care ward from falling. Patients assessed at high falls risk were accommodated in a room staffed by volunteer companion-observers. The volunteers engaged them in conversation, played cards, opened meals and used the call bell to summon nurses if patients attempted to move from the bed or chair without assistance. Because of occupational health and safety considerations, the volunteers did not assist patients to ambulate. The falls rate in the acute aged care ward decreased by 44 percent (p < 0.000). No patients fell in the observation room when volunteers were present. Relatives of participating in-patients expressed appreciation of the volunteer role, in terms of increased safety and also companionship. Volunteers exercised initiative in determining their pattern of work and developing resources to support their role. Because volunteers are not present around the clock, other strategies are needed to prevent wandering, frequently confused older in-patients from falling during the night. In a context where frail elderly patients need constant supervision, using volunteers is a reasonable strategy. This intervention used an inexpensive, human resources-based approach to significantly reduce the incidence of falls in the population at highest risk of falling. The additional benefits to patients in terms of cognitive improvement bear further investigation.

Alleviating psychological distress of suicide survivors: evaluation of a volunteer care programme.

PubMed

Lu, Y-J; Chang, H-J; Tung, Y-Y; Hsu, M-C; Lin, M-F

2011-06-01

The crisis level in the worldwide suicide rate has revealed a severe suicide problem in Taiwan that is now well above the world average of 16 per 100,000 individuals. Many countries have relied on suicide care volunteers training programmes to conduct suicide prevention programmes. However, there is a dearth of research evaluating the effect of volunteers on psychological distress and the impact of volunteer experience level. An evaluation of the impact of experienced and novice volunteers in alleviating psychological distress of suicide survivors was conducted. A supervised programme trained 15 volunteers at Years 1 and 2. Year 1 volunteers completed 400 h of service with continuing education. Programme evaluation occurred after Year 2 volunteers had completed training. Eighty-two suicide survivors were recruited. With 60 suicide survivors completing 3 month of volunteer care, a significant group difference with time interaction in suicide survivors who exhibited moderate to severe distress between the veteran care and novice care groups was found. Compared with novice volunteers, veteran volunteers with at least 1 year of experience are more effective with suicide survivors reporting higher psychological distress. © 2011 Blackwell Publishing.

Personality Accounts for the Connection Between Volunteering and Health

PubMed Central

Jackson, Joshua J.; Morrow-Howell, Nancy; Oltmanns, Thomas F.

2015-01-01

Objectives. Existing literature has shown that volunteering is related to better physical and mental health outcomes. The purpose of this study is to examine whether personality traits and volunteering are independent predictors of physical and mental health. Methods. The current study utilizes data from the St. Louis Personality and Aging Network (SPAN), a representative sample of community-based adults between the ages of 55 and 64. Using hierarchical linear regressions, we test whether volunteering is a significant predictor of both physical and mental health while controlling for personality traits. Results. We find that volunteering is not significantly related to either physical or mental health while controlling for personality traits. We also find that lower neuroticism is related to better physical functioning and mental health, whereas higher extraversion is related to better mental health. Discussion. These results indicate that volunteering may be related to health outcomes because of the personality characteristics of volunteers, not the volunteering experience in and of itself. Future longitudinal studies are needed to further explore the relationship between personality, volunteering, and health. PMID:24704620

Personality characteristics of hospice palliative care volunteers: the ''big five'' and empathy.

PubMed

Claxton-Oldfield, Stephen; Banzen, Yana

2010-09-01

The goal of this study was to examine the personality characteristics of hospice palliative care volunteers by measuring the so-called big five personality traits and 4 separate aspects of empathy. A total of 99 hospice palliative care volunteers completed the NEO Five-Factor Inventory (NEO-FFI) of Costa Jr and McCrae and the Interpersonal Reactivity Index (IRI) of Davis. The vast majority (84%) of the volunteers were females. Compared to the norms for adult females on the NEO-FFI, female hospice palliative care volunteers scored significantly higher on the traits of agreeableness, extraversion, and openness and significantly lower on the trait of neuroticism. On the empathy measure, female hospice palliative care volunteers scored significantly higher on the empathic concern and perspective taking subscales compared to the female norms, and significantly lower on the personal distress and fantasy subscales. The results of this study may have implications for the recruitment and retention of hospice palliative care volunteers.

Volunteering in the care of people with severe mental illness: a systematic review.

PubMed

Hallett, Claudia; Klug, Günter; Lauber, Christoph; Priebe, Stefan

2012-12-13

Much of the literature to date concerning public attitudes towards people with severe mental illness (SMI) has focused on negative stereotypes and discriminatory behaviour. However, there also exists a tradition of volunteering with these people, implying a more positive attitude. Groups with positive attitudes and behaviours towards people with SMI have received relatively little attention in research. They merit further attention, as evidence on characteristics and experiences of volunteers may help to promote volunteering. The present paper aims to systematically review the literature reporting characteristics, motivations, experiences, and benefits of volunteers in the care of people with SMI. In November 2010, a systematic electronic search was carried out in BNI, CINAHL, Embase, Medline, PsycINFO, Cochrane Registers and Web of Science databases, using a combination of 'volunteer', 'mental health' and 'outcome' search terms. A secondary hand search was performed in relevant psychiatric journals, grey literature and references. 14 papers met the inclusion criteria for the review, with data on a total of 540 volunteers. The results suggest that volunteers are a mostly female, but otherwise heterogeneous group. Motivations for volunteering are a combination of what they can 'give' to others and what they can 'get' for themselves. Overall volunteers report positive experiences. The main benefit to persons with a psychiatric illness is the gaining of a companion, who is non-stigmatizing and proactive in increasing their social-community involvement. The evidence base for volunteers in care of people with SMI is small and inconsistent. However there are potential implications for both current and future volunteering programmes from the data. As the data suggests that there is no 'typical' volunteer, volunteering programmes should recruit individuals from a variety of backgrounds. The act of volunteering can not only benefit people with SMI, but also the volunteers

Comparison of health outcomes among affiliated and lay disaster volunteers enrolled in the World Trade Center Health Registry.

PubMed

Debchoudhury, Indira; Welch, Alice E; Fairclough, Monique A; Cone, James E; Brackbill, Robert M; Stellman, Steven D; Farfel, Mark R

2011-12-01

Volunteers (non-professional rescue/recovery workers) are universally present at man-made and natural disasters and share experiences and exposures with victims. Little is known of their disaster-related health outcomes. We studied 4974 adult volunteers who completed the World Trade Center Health Registry 2006-07 survey to examine associations between volunteer type (affiliated vs. lay) and probable posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD); new or worsening respiratory symptoms; post-9/11 first diagnosis of anxiety disorder, depression, and/or PTSD; and asthma or reactive airway dysfunction syndrome (RADS). Affiliated volunteers reported membership in a recognized organization. Lay volunteers reported no organizational affiliation and occupations unrelated to rescue/recovery work. Adjusted odds ratios (OR(adj)) were calculated using multinomial regression. Lay volunteers were more likely than affiliated volunteers to have been present in lower Manhattan, experience the dust cloud, horrific events and injury on 9/11 and subsequently to report unmet healthcare needs. They had greater odds of early post-9/11 mental health diagnosis (OR(adj) 1.6; 95% CI: 1.4-2.0) and asthma/RADS (1.8; 1.2-2.7), chronic PTSD (2.2; 1.7-2.8), late-onset PTSD (1.9; 1.5-2.5), and new or worsening lower respiratory symptoms (2.0; 1.8-2.4). Lay volunteers' poorer health outcomes reflect earlier, more intense exposure to and lack of protection from physical and psychological hazards. There is a need to limit volunteers' exposures during and after disasters, as well as to provide timely screening and health care post-disaster. Copyright © 2011 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Potential for intensive volunteering to promote the health of older adults in fair health.

PubMed

Barron, Jeremy S; Tan, Erwin J; Yu, Qilu; Song, Meilin; McGill, Sylvia; Fried, Linda P

2009-07-01

Volunteer service opportunities for older adults may soon be expanded. Although volunteering is thought to provide health benefits for healthier older adults, it is not known whether older adults in less than very good health are suitable candidates for high-intensity volunteering and can derive health benefits. This manuscript presents a prospective analysis of 174 older adult volunteers serving in Experience Corps Baltimore, a high-intensity senior volunteer program in Baltimore, Maryland. Volunteers served > or =15 h per week, for a full school year, in elementary schools helping children with reading and other skills between 1999 and 2002. Volunteers were assessed with standardized questionnaires and performance-based testing including grip strength, walking speed, chair stand speed, and stair-climbing speed prior to school volunteering and at the end of the school year. Results were stratified by health status. Among 174 volunteers, 55% initially reported "good" and 12% "fair" or "poor" health status. At baseline, those in fair health reported higher frequencies of disease and disability than volunteers in excellent or very good health. After volunteering, a majority of volunteers in every baseline health status category described increased strength and energy. Those in fair health were significantly more likely to display improved stair-climbing speed than those in good or excellent/very good health (100.0% vs. 53.4% vs. 37.5%, p = 0.05), and many showed clinically significant increases in walking speed of >0.5 m/s. Satisfaction and retention rates were high for all health status groups. Clinicians should consider whether their patients in fair or good health, as well as those in better health, might benefit from high-intensity volunteer programs. Productive activity such as volunteering may be an effective community-based approach to health promotion for older adults.

Personality Accounts for the Connection Between Volunteering and Health.

PubMed

King, Hannah R; Jackson, Joshua J; Morrow-Howell, Nancy; Oltmanns, Thomas F

2015-09-01

Existing literature has shown that volunteering is related to better physical and mental health outcomes. The purpose of this study is to examine whether personality traits and volunteering are independent predictors of physical and mental health. The current study utilizes data from the St. Louis Personality and Aging Network (SPAN), a representative sample of community-based adults between the ages of 55 and 64. Using hierarchical linear regressions, we test whether volunteering is a significant predictor of both physical and mental health while controlling for personality traits. We find that volunteering is not significantly related to either physical or mental health while controlling for personality traits. We also find that lower neuroticism is related to better physical functioning and mental health, whereas higher extraversion is related to better mental health. These results indicate that volunteering may be related to health outcomes because of the personality characteristics of volunteers, not the volunteering experience in and of itself. Future longitudinal studies are needed to further explore the relationship between personality, volunteering, and health. © The Author 2014. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of The Gerontological Society of America. All rights reserved. For permissions, please e-mail: journals.permissions@oup.com.

Volunteering to Care for People with Severe Mental Illness: A Qualitative Study of the Significance of Professional and Private Life Experience.

PubMed

Ørtenblad, Lisbeth; Væggemose, Ulla; Gissel, Lene; Nissen, Nina Konstantin

2018-02-06

Challenges in recruiting volunteers encountered by psychiatric services are barely elucidated despite a general societal increase in volunteering. The aim of the study was to explore the significance of professional and private life experiences in willingness to volunteer to care for people with severe mental illness. Focus group interviews with volunteers in the Community Family Programme was conducted, followed by thematic analysis. All interviewees had professional and/or private experience of SMI, which had a major influence on their initial willingness to volunteer. Volunteering was an opportunity to pass on their experiences and to care for SMI people in ways that were not possible in their professions. The interviewees did not distinguish between the influences of professional and/or private life experiences on their willingness to volunteer. The study demonstrates the importance of professional and/or private life experiences in initial considerations about volunteering for mental health care. The consequences for recruitment practices are discussed.

[Role of health volunteers for patients with amyotrophic lateral sclerosis and their family].

PubMed

Bardet, L

2006-06-01

In ALS Centers, the patient receives coordinated care from Health Volunteers and the medical team including specialized physicians, therapists and social workers. There are two types of volunteers: those who assist the patient in hospital, the Medical Volunteers (MV), and those who make home visits, the Home Volunteers (HV). Both are recruited and trained by the ARS and have a single motivation: help the patient's; they are emotionally and morally fully qualified to accomplish their task in accordance with the rules that have been set by the Association. The ALS patient is seen for the first time by the Medical Volunteer at the ALS Center, immediately after his or her disease has been diagnosed by the clinic's director. The MV takes the initiative for the dialogue, which he/she leads gently and tactfully. The discussion is aimed at gathering useful information to be put in the document: "Connaissance du malade" (knowledge of the patient), working out the patient's primary concerns and assessing the carer's commitment, in a friendly atmosphere. Finally the volunteer gives the guidebook, "Livret d'accueil" to the patient. After the conversation, the MV decides which confidential pieces of information are to be passed on to the medical staff with a view to sorting out problems; information is then set the HV who will provide follow up care for this patient. Long-term care management of ALS patients is achieved through three regular monthly appointments at the ALS Center. With the help of the document "Connaissance du malade" the MV keeps better in touch with the patient using the feedback from the HV about what has been going on in the interval between the two visits to the ALS Center. This collaboration enables appropriate follow up care for the patients with clearly-defined objectives: dealing with the patient's anxiety, understanding his/her position at the present time, his/her daily routine and needs, comforting, checking compliance with treatment, counselling

Volunteers in Specialist Palliative Care: A Survey of Adult Services in the United Kingdom

PubMed Central

Burbeck, Rachel; Low, Joe; Sampson, Elizabeth L.; Bravery, Ruth; Hill, Matthew; Morris, Sara; Ockenden, Nick; Payne, Sheila

2014-01-01

Abstract Background: Worldwide, the demand for specialist palliative care is increasing but funding is limited. The role of volunteers is underresearched, although their contribution reduces costs significantly. Understanding what volunteers do is vital to ensure services develop appropriately to meet the challenges faced by providers of palliative care. Objective: The study's objective is to describe current involvement of volunteers with direct patient/family contact in U.K. specialist palliative care. Design: An online survey was sent to 290 U.K. adult hospices and specialist palliative care services involving volunteers covering service characteristics, involvement and numbers of volunteers, settings in which they are involved, extent of involvement in care services, specific activities undertaken in each setting, and use of professional skills. Results: The survey had a 67% response rate. Volunteers were most commonly involved in day care and bereavement services. They entirely ran some complementary therapy, beauty therapy/hairdressing, and pastoral/faith-based care services, and were involved in a wide range of activities, including sitting with dying patients. Conclusions: This comprehensive survey of volunteer activity in U.K. specialist palliative care provides an up-to-date picture of volunteer involvement in direct contact with patients and their families, such as providing emotional care, and the extent of their involvement in day and bereavement services. Further research could focus on exploring their involvement in bereavement care. PMID:24475743

The contribution of international health volunteers to the health workforce in sub-Saharan Africa.

PubMed

Laleman, Geert; Kegels, Guy; Marchal, Bruno; Van der Roost, Dirk; Bogaert, Isa; Van Damme, Wim

2007-07-31

In this paper, we aim to quantify the contribution of international health volunteers to the health workforce in sub-Saharan Africa and to explore the perceptions of health service managers regarding these volunteers. Rapid survey among organizations sending international health volunteers and group discussions with experienced medical officers from sub-Saharan African countries. We contacted 13 volunteer organizations having more than 10 full-time equivalent international health volunteers in sub-Saharan Africa and estimated that they employed together 2072 full-time equivalent international health volunteers in 2005. The numbers sent by secular non-governmental organizations (NGOs) is growing, while the number sent by development NGOs, including faith-based organizations, is mostly decreasing. The cost is estimated at between US$36,000 and US$50,000 per expatriate volunteer per year. There are trends towards more employment of international health volunteers from low-income countries and of national medical staff.Country experts express more negative views about international health volunteers than positive ones. They see them as increasingly paradoxical in view of the existence of urban unemployed doctors and nurses in most countries. Creating conditions for employment and training of national staff is strongly favoured as an alternative. Only in exceptional circumstances is sending international health volunteers viewed as a defendable temporary measure. We estimate that not more than 5000 full-time equivalent international health volunteers were working in sub-Saharan Africa in 2005, of which not more than 1500 were doctors. A distinction should be made between (1) secular medical humanitarian NGOs, (2) development NGOs, and (3) volunteer organizations, as Voluntary Service Overseas (VSO) and United Nations volunteers (UNV). They have different views, undergo different trends and are differently appreciated by government officials.International health

The contribution of international health volunteers to the health workforce in sub-Saharan Africa

PubMed Central

Laleman, Geert; Kegels, Guy; Marchal, Bruno; Van der Roost, Dirk; Bogaert, Isa; Van Damme, Wim

2007-01-01

Background In this paper, we aim to quantify the contribution of international health volunteers to the health workforce in sub-Saharan Africa and to explore the perceptions of health service managers regarding these volunteers. Methods Rapid survey among organizations sending international health volunteers and group discussions with experienced medical officers from sub-Saharan African countries. Results We contacted 13 volunteer organizations having more than 10 full-time equivalent international health volunteers in sub-Saharan Africa and estimated that they employed together 2072 full-time equivalent international health volunteers in 2005. The numbers sent by secular non-governmental organizations (NGOs) is growing, while the number sent by development NGOs, including faith-based organizations, is mostly decreasing. The cost is estimated at between US$36 000 and US$50 000 per expatriate volunteer per year. There are trends towards more employment of international health volunteers from low-income countries and of national medical staff. Country experts express more negative views about international health volunteers than positive ones. They see them as increasingly paradoxical in view of the existence of urban unemployed doctors and nurses in most countries. Creating conditions for employment and training of national staff is strongly favoured as an alternative. Only in exceptional circumstances is sending international health volunteers viewed as a defendable temporary measure. Conclusion We estimate that not more than 5000 full-time equivalent international health volunteers were working in sub-Saharan Africa in 2005, of which not more than 1500 were doctors. A distinction should be made between (1) secular medical humanitarian NGOs, (2)development NGOs, and (3) volunteer organizations, as Voluntary Service Overseas (VSO) and United Nations volunteers (UNV). They have different views, undergo different trends and are differently appreciated by government

The impacts of using community health volunteers to coach medication safety behaviors among rural elders with chronic illnesses.

PubMed

Wang, Chi-Jane; Fetzer, Susan J; Yang, Yi-Ching; Wang, Jing-Jy

2013-01-01

It is a challenge for rural health professionals to promote medication safety among older adults taking multiple medications. A volunteer coaching program to promote medication safety among rural elders with chronic illnesses was designed and evaluated. A community-based interventional study randomly assigned 62 rural elders with at least two chronic illnesses to routine care plus volunteer coaching or routine care alone. The volunteer coaching group received a medication safety program, including a coach and reminders by well-trained volunteers, as well as three home visits and five telephone calls over a two-month period. All the subjects received routine medication safety instructions for their chronic illnesses. The program was evaluated using pre- and post-tests of knowledge, attitude and behaviors with regard to medication safety. Results show the volunteer coaching group improved their knowledge of medication safety, but there was no change in attitude after the two-month study period. Moreover, the group demonstrated three improved medication safety behaviors compared to the routine care group. The volunteer coaching program and instructions with pictorial aids can provide a reference for community health professionals who wish to improve the medication safety of chronically ill elders. Copyright © 2013 Mosby, Inc. All rights reserved.

Volunteers trained in palliative care at the hospital: an original and dynamic resource.

PubMed

Delaloye, Sylvette; Escher, Monica; Luthy, Christophe; Piguet, Valérie; Dayer, Pierre; Cedraschi, Christine

2015-06-01

Volunteers trained in palliative care are increasingly present in acute care units in general hospitals. Nevertheless, there still are few available data on this topic, especially concerning the integration of volunteers outside the palliative structures. Our present study aimed to describe the experience of volunteers trained in palliative care in the context of a primary care hospital. In particular, the difficulties and the benefits of this specific position were evaluated according to volunteers' own perceptions and words. We employed a qualitative method. Various aspects of the volunteer's role were explored by means of semistructured questions, addressing their activity, their motivations, and their feelings. Participants were volunteers (n = 19) trained in palliative care and working at a university hospital. After giving written consent, they completed the semistructured questionnaire at home. Content analysis was used to identify the main categories of answers and the principal themes reported by the volunteers. The main difficulties were related to uncertainty of the context. As every situation is different, volunteers could not define their role once and for all. However, they derived great satisfaction from their activity. A supporting frame and a good balance between constraints and autonomy were facilitating factors. Besides, the complexity related to the context contributed to make the position valuable and challenging. Integrating a voluntary service in a primary care hospital is partly based on active participation of the volunteers in developing their position in a more adequate way. In return, this relative autonomy implies a rigorous and supportive attitude from the institution.

Volunteering and older women: psychosocial and health predictors of participation.

PubMed

Parkinson, Lynne; Warburton, Jeni; Sibbritt, David; Byles, Julie

2010-11-01

As populations age, there will be a need for more volunteers in social welfare, and consequently a need to better understand potential effects of volunteering for older people. Whilst there is a body of international literature exploring health benefits of volunteering in later life, there are currently no longitudinal studies of Australian populations. Internationally, there is a lack of studies focusing on older women, who comprise the majority of the ageing population. The aim of this article was to explore the relationship between volunteering and psychosocial and health factors for a cohort of older Australian women over time. Data for this study were from the oldest cohort of Australian Longitudinal Study on Women's Health, a 20-year longitudinal survey of Australian women aged 70-75 years in 1996. Volunteering status was the factor of interest and study factors included a broad range of demographic, health and social factors. A longitudinal model was developed for mediators of volunteering over time. Of 7088 women in 2005, 24.5% reported actively volunteering, 15.5% were continuing, 7.5% were new, 15.3% were intermittent and 34.7% had never been volunteers. Volunteering was associated with increased quality of life and social support. Women were more likely to continue volunteering over time if they lived in a rural area, had higher socioeconomic indicators, and better levels of physical and mental health. This study contributes to the literature on the relationship between volunteering and health for older women. Understanding the potential health implications of volunteering is a critical issue in current policy debates.

[Volunteers in Refugee Help: is Health Promotion (by Public Health Services) Necessary?

PubMed

Andrees, Valerie; Freyer, Beke; Borgmeier, Ingrid; Galle, Hans-Jürgen; Westenhöfer, Joachim

2018-03-01

To investigate health-related strains and resources of volunteers in refugee help. Qualitative interviews with 10 volunteers in refugee help as well as 11 interviews with experts involved in coordinative tasks were conducted, transcribed and analysed using qualitative content analysis. Volunteers' work in refugee help is experienced as a strong resource. Volunteers receive a lot of thankfulness and appreciation and experience their work as enriching and enhancing self-worth. On the other hand, they also experience several stresses and problems. Difficulties in setting up appropriate boundaries regarding time and emotional involvement are mentioned as important reasons for the experienced stresses. Support for volunteers in refugee help should be optimised and expanded in order to protect the volunteers from health-related strains. Public Health Services could play an important role in such improvements. Eigentümer und Copyright ©Georg Thieme Verlag KG 2018.

Volunteer navigation partnerships: Piloting a compassionate community approach to early palliative care.

PubMed

Pesut, Barbara; Duggleby, Wendy; Warner, Grace; Fassbender, Konrad; Antifeau, Elisabeth; Hooper, Brenda; Greig, Madeleine; Sullivan, Kelli

2017-07-03

A compassionate community approach to palliative care provides important rationale for building community-based hospice volunteer capacity. In this project, we piloted one such capacity-building model in which volunteers and a nurse partnered to provide navigation support beginning in the early palliative phase for adults living in community. The goal was to improve quality of life by developing independence, engagement, and community connections. Volunteers received navigation training through a three-day workshop and then conducted in-home visits with clients living with advanced chronic illness over one year. A nurse navigator provided education and mentorship. Mixed method evaluation data was collected from clients, volunteer navigators, the nurse navigator, and other stakeholders. Seven volunteers were partnered with 18 clients. Over the one-year pilot, the volunteer navigators conducted visits in home or by phone every two to three weeks. Volunteers were skilled and resourceful in building connections and facilitating engagement. Although it took time to learn the navigator role, volunteers felt well-prepared and found the role satisfying and meaningful. Clients and family rated the service as highly important to their care because of how the volunteer helped to make the difficult experiences of aging and advanced chronic illness more livable. Significant benefits cited by clients were making good decisions for both now and in the future; having a surrogate social safety net; supporting engagement with life; and ultimately, transforming the experience of living with illness. Overall the program was perceived to be well-designed by stakeholders and meeting an important need in the community. Sustainability, however, was a concern expressed by both clients and volunteers. Volunteers providing supportive navigation services during the early phase of palliative care is a feasible way to foster a compassionate community approach to care for an aging population

Effective practices of international volunteering for health: perspectives from partner organizations.

PubMed

Lough, Benjamin J; Tiessen, Rebecca; Lasker, Judith N

2018-01-24

The demand for international volunteer experiences to promote global health and nutrition is increasing and numerous studies have documented the experiences of the international volunteers who travel abroad; however, little is known about effective practices from the perspective of partner organizations. This study aims to understand how variables such as the skill-level of volunteers, the duration of service, cultural and language training, and other key variables affect partner organizations' perceptions of volunteer effectiveness at promoting healthcare and nutrition. This study used a cross-sectional design to survey a convenience sample of 288 volunteer partner organizations located in 68 countries. Principle components analyses and manual coding of cases resulted in a categorization of five generalized types of international volunteering. Differences among these types were compared by the duration of service, skill-level of volunteers, and the volunteers' perceived fit with organizational needs. In addition, a multivariate ordinary least square regression tested associations between nine different characteristics/activities and the volunteers' perceived effectiveness at promoting healthcare and nutrition. Partner organizations viewed highly-skilled volunteers serving for a short-term abroad as the most effective at promoting healthcare and nutrition in their organizations, followed by slightly less-skilled long-term volunteers. The greatest amount of variance in perceived effectiveness was volunteers' ability to speak the local language, followed by their skill level and the duration of service abroad. In addition, volunteer training in community development principles and practices was significantly related to perceived effectiveness. The perceptions of effective healthcare promotion identified by partner organizations suggest that program and volunteer characteristics need to be carefully considered when deciding on methods of volunteer preparation and

Sustainability and scalability of a volunteer-based primary care intervention (Health TAPESTRY): a mixed-methods analysis.

PubMed

Kastner, Monika; Sayal, Radha; Oliver, Doug; Straus, Sharon E; Dolovich, Lisa

2017-08-01

Chronic diseases are a significant public health concern, particularly in older adults. To address the delivery of health care services to optimally meet the needs of older adults with multiple chronic diseases, Health TAPESTRY (Teams Advancing Patient Experience: Strengthening Quality) uses a novel approach that involves patient home visits by trained volunteers to collect and transmit relevant health information using e-health technology to inform appropriate care from an inter-professional healthcare team. Health TAPESTRY was implemented, pilot tested, and evaluated in a randomized controlled trial (analysis underway). Knowledge translation (KT) interventions such as Health TAPESTRY should involve an investigation of their sustainability and scalability determinants to inform further implementation. However, this is seldom considered in research or considered early enough, so the objectives of this study were to assess the sustainability and scalability potential of Health TAPESTRY from the perspective of the team who developed and pilot-tested it. Our objectives were addressed using a sequential mixed-methods approach involving the administration of a validated, sustainability survey developed by the National Health Service (NHS) to all members of the Health TAPESTRY team who were actively involved in the development, implementation and pilot evaluation of the intervention (Phase 1: n = 38). Mean sustainability scores were calculated to identify the best potential for improvement across sustainability factors. Phase 2 was a qualitative study of interviews with purposively selected Health TAPESTRY team members to gain a more in-depth understanding of the factors that influence the sustainability and scalability Health TAPESTRY. Two independent reviewers coded transcribed interviews and completed a multi-step thematic analysis. Outcomes were participant perceptions of the determinants influencing the sustainability and scalability of Health TAPESTRY. Twenty

Volunteering and health benefits in general adults: cumulative effects and forms.

PubMed

Yeung, Jerf W K; Zhang, Zhuoni; Kim, Tae Yeun

2017-07-11

Although the health benefits of volunteering have been well documented, no research has examined its cumulative effects according to other-oriented and self-oriented volunteering on multiple health outcomes in the general adult public. This study examined other-oriented and self-oriented volunteering in cumulative contribution to health outcomes (mental and physical health, life satisfaction, social well-being and depression). Data were drawn from the Survey of Texas Adults 2004, which contains a statewide population-based sample of adults (n = 1504). Multivariate linear regression and Wald test of parameters equivalence constraint were used to test the relationships. Both forms of volunteering were significantly related to better health outcomes (odds ratios = 3.66% to 11.11%), except the effect of self-oriented volunteering on depression. Other-oriented volunteering was found to have better health benefits than did self-volunteering. Volunteering should be promoted by public health, education and policy practitioners as a kind of healthy lifestyle, especially for the social subgroups of elders, ethnic minorities, those with little education, single people, and unemployed people, who generally have poorer health and less participation in volunteering.

Do predictors of volunteering in older age differ by health status?

PubMed

Principi, Andrea; Galenkamp, Henrike; Papa, Roberta; Socci, Marco; Suanet, Bianca; Schmidt, Andrea; Schulmann, Katharine; Golinowska, Stella; Sowa, Agnieszka; Moreira, Amilcar; Deeg, Dorly J H

2016-06-01

It has been widely recognised that poor health is one of the main barriers to participation in volunteer activities in older age. Therefore, it is crucial to examine the participation of older people in volunteering, especially those in poor health. Based on the resource theory of volunteering, the aim of this study is to better understand the correlates of volunteering among older people with different health statuses, namely those without health problems (neither multimorbidity nor disability), those with mild health problems (multimorbidity or disability), and those with severe health problems (multimorbidity and disability). Data were drawn from the fourth wave (2011-2012, release 1.1.1) of the Survey of Health, Ageing and Retirement in Europe, which includes European people aged 50 years or older. The results showed that variables linked to volunteering were generally similar regardless of health status, but some differences were nevertheless identified. For older people with mild or severe health problems, for instance, depressive symptoms were negatively associated with their involvement in volunteer activities. We found a positive association of being widowed (rather than married) with volunteering in older people with particularly poor health, whereas high income was associated with volunteering in the case of mild health problems only. These results demonstrate that variables associated with volunteer participation partially differ between older people depending on their health status. These differences should be considered by policy makers in their attempts to promote volunteering in older people, as a means of preventing their social exclusion.

[Volunteer work and potential volunteer work among 55 to 70-year-olds in Germany].

PubMed

Micheel, Frank

2017-02-01

The aim of this article is to describe the potential with respect to volunteer work among 55 to 70-year-old persons along with a two-dimensional typology (actual volunteer work and intention of volunteering or expanding actual volunteer work) and to identify the influencing factors. Based on the dataset from the transitions and old age potential (TOP) study, a total of 4421 men and women born between 1942 and 1958 were included. A multinomial regression model showed the predictors for group affiliation along with an engagement-related typology (internal, utilized and external volunteer potential as well as definite non-volunteers). More than a half of the persons in the study sample could be classified as internal or external volunteer potential. Volunteers and potential volunteers revealed more similarities regarding resources and social factors than potential volunteers and definite non-volunteers. Potential volunteers were more active in other informal fields of activity (e.g. nursing or child care) than definite non-volunteers. With respect to volunteer work, definite non-volunteers showed various social disadvantages (in particular with respect to education and health) compared to (potential) volunteers. Other informal activities did not seem to be in major conflict with volunteer activities, e.g. nursing or child care, as long as they were carried out with moderate or low intensity.

Care Groups I: An Innovative Community-Based Strategy for Improving Maternal, Neonatal, and Child Health in Resource-Constrained Settings.

PubMed

Perry, Henry; Morrow, Melanie; Borger, Sarah; Weiss, Jennifer; DeCoster, Mary; Davis, Thomas; Ernst, Pieter

2015-09-01

In view of the slow progress being made in reducing maternal and child mortality in many priority countries, new approaches are urgently needed that can be applied in settings with weak health systems and a scarcity of human resources for health. The Care Group approach uses facilitators, who are a lower-level cadre of paid workers, to work with groups of 12 or so volunteers (the Care Group), and each volunteer is responsible for 10-15 households. The volunteers share messages with the mothers of the households to promote important health behaviors and to use key health services. The Care Groups create a multiplying effect, reaching all households in a community at low cost. This article describes the Care Group approach in more detail, its history, and current NGO experience with implementing the approach across more than 28 countries. A companion article also published in this journal summarizes the evidence on the effectiveness of the Care Group approach. An estimated 1.3 million households—almost entirely in rural areas—have been reached using Care Groups, and at least 106,000 volunteers have been trained. The NGOs with experience implementing Care Groups have achieved high population coverage of key health interventions proven to reduce maternal and child deaths. Some of the essential criteria in applying the Care Group approach include: peer-to-peer health promotion (between mothers), selection of volunteers by mothers, limited workload for the volunteers, limited number of volunteers per Care Group, frequent contact between the volunteers and mothers, use of visual teaching tools and participatory behavior change methods, and regular supervision of volunteers. Incorporating Care Groups into ministries of health would help sustain the approach, which would require creating posts for facilitators as well as supervisors. Although not widely known about outside the NGO child survival and food security networks, the Care Group approach deserves broader

Care Groups I: An Innovative Community-Based Strategy for Improving Maternal, Neonatal, and Child Health in Resource-Constrained Settings

PubMed Central

Morrow, Melanie; Borger, Sarah; Weiss, Jennifer; DeCoster, Mary; Davis, Thomas; Ernst, Pieter

2015-01-01

In view of the slow progress being made in reducing maternal and child mortality in many priority countries, new approaches are urgently needed that can be applied in settings with weak health systems and a scarcity of human resources for health. The Care Group approach uses facilitators, who are a lower-level cadre of paid workers, to work with groups of 12 or so volunteers (the Care Group), and each volunteer is responsible for 10–15 households. The volunteers share messages with the mothers of the households to promote important health behaviors and to use key health services. The Care Groups create a multiplying effect, reaching all households in a community at low cost. This article describes the Care Group approach in more detail, its history, and current NGO experience with implementing the approach across more than 28 countries. A companion article also published in this journal summarizes the evidence on the effectiveness of the Care Group approach. An estimated 1.3 million households—almost entirely in rural areas—have been reached using Care Groups, and at least 106,000 volunteers have been trained. The NGOs with experience implementing Care Groups have achieved high population coverage of key health interventions proven to reduce maternal and child deaths. Some of the essential criteria in applying the Care Group approach include: peer-to-peer health promotion (between mothers), selection of volunteers by mothers, limited workload for the volunteers, limited number of volunteers per Care Group, frequent contact between the volunteers and mothers, use of visual teaching tools and participatory behavior change methods, and regular supervision of volunteers. Incorporating Care Groups into ministries of health would help sustain the approach, which would require creating posts for facilitators as well as supervisors. Although not widely known about outside the NGO child survival and food security networks, the Care Group approach deserves broader

The volunteer program in a Children's Hospice.

PubMed

Duggal, Shalu; Farah, Peggy; Straatman, Lynn Patricia; Freeman, Leanne; Dickson, Susan

2008-09-01

Canuck Place Children's Hospice (CPCH) is regarded as one of the leading pediatric palliative care systems in the world. Since 1995, it has been providing hospice care free of charge to children and their families living with life-threatening conditions. The pediatric palliative hospice is a relatively new practice in health care, in comparison to the longstanding adult model. As a result, development and implementation of volunteer programs in pediatric hospices is not currently represented in literature. With over 300 volunteers at present, CPCH has built a successful program that can serve as a model in pediatric volunteer services. To present the unique volunteer roles and experience at CPCH, and share ways volunteers work to support the efforts of the clinical team. Strategies to address current challenges in the volunteer program are also addressed. Descriptive design. A current CPCH volunteer discusses the volunteer program. Interviews were conducted with the founding volunteer director of CPCH and current volunteers. The volunteer program at CPCH fully embraces the life of each child and family. Volunteer selection is the groundwork for ensuring a cohesive work force, while training equips volunteers with the knowledge to carry out their role with confidence. Areas of improvement that have been recognized include offering effective feedback to volunteers and delivering adequate level of training for non-direct care roles. The talents of volunteers at CPCH are diverse, and CPCH aims to recognize and thank volunteers for their continuous contributions.

KSC volunteers help Meals on Wheels as part of Days of Caring '99

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

1999-01-01

KSC volunteers at Miracle City Mall, Titusville, help unload containers for Meals on Wheels delivery as part of their '99 Days of Caring participation. The volunteers will also help deliver the meals. Coordinated by the KSC Community Relations Council, Days of Caring provides an opportunity for employees to volunteer their services in projects such as painting, planting flowers, reading to school children, and more. Organizations accepting volunteers include The Embers, Yellow Umbrella, Serene Harbor, Domestic Violence Program, the YMCA of Brevard County, and others.

Correlates of volunteering among aging Texans: the roles of health indicators, spirituality, and social engagement.

PubMed

Ahn, SangNam; Phillips, Karon L; Smith, Matthew Lee; Ory, Marcia G

2011-07-01

This study aimed to identify participant characteristics associated with volunteering among older adults. Based on data from the 2008 Aging Texas Well (ATW) Indicators Survey, we examined the degree to which demographic factors, health status, spiritual participation, and community involvement are associated with volunteering among adults aged 60 years or older (n = 525). Rates of volunteering varied by race/ethnicity: non-Hispanic Whites (56.4%), African Americans (51.1%), and Hispanics (43.2%). Bivariate analyses showed that non-Hispanic White older adults were more likely to participate in formal volunteering activities, while their African American and Hispanic counterparts tended to participate in informal volunteering activities. Logistic regression analyses revealed that volunteering was less observed among Hispanics (OR = 0.48, 95% CI 0.29-0.78). Volunteering was more observed among those who reported providing informal care (OR=1.93, 95% CI 1.14-3.28), having very good or excellent mental health (OR = 1.90 and 2.07, 95% CI 1.09-3.32 and 1.20-3.55, respectively), having weekly or daily spiritual participation (OR = 2.15 and 2.35, 95% CI 1.28-3.63 and 1.29-4.28, respectively), perceiving community involvement very important (OR = 2.37, 95% CI 1.55-3.62), and being very satisfied with the community interaction (OR = 1.81, 95% CI 1.15-2.85). Given the positive associations of mental health, spirituality, and social engagement with volunteering among older adults, system-level efforts to increase the sense of community among older adults and recognize their roles as volunteers will be helpful in recruiting and retaining older volunteers. Copyright © 2011 Elsevier Ireland Ltd. All rights reserved.

Practice points in utilizing local volunteers in community health projects.

PubMed

Muula, Adamson S; Theu, Joe; Hofman, Jan J

2004-07-01

Community volunteers are recruited for many health intervention projects. There are various motivations for the use of the volunteers and these include: the desire to reduce financial costs of projects/programmes; to encourage community ownership; ensure long-term sustainability of the health intervention; and to empower local communities through training offered the project. Health intervention measures working with community volunteers should not be implemented without due consideration of issues regarding mobilization and engagement, skills and motivation of the volunteers and their effectiveness and efficiency towards the attainment of the project goals. This paper discusses some tips that should be considered when community volunteers are used in resource-limited situations.

The lived experience of volunteering in a palliative care biography service.

PubMed

Beasley, Elizabeth; Brooker, Joanne; Warren, Narelle; Fletcher, Jane; Boyle, Christopher; Ventura, Adriana; Burney, Susan

2015-10-01

Many patients approaching death experience hopelessness, helplessness, and a depressed mood, and these factors can contribute to a difficult end-of-life (EoL) period. Biography services may assist patients in finding meaning and purpose at this time. The aim of our study was to investigate the lived experience of volunteers involved in a biography service in Melbourne, Australia, using a qualitative methodology. The participants were 10 volunteers who had participated in a biography service within a private palliative care service. Each volunteer was interviewed separately using a study-specific semistructured interview guide. The transcripts of these interviews were then subjected to thematic analysis. Analysis yielded the following themes: motivations for volunteering; dealing with death, dying, and existential issues; psychosocial benefits of volunteering; and benefits and challenges of working with patients and their families. Our results indicated that volunteering gave the volunteers a deeper appreciation of existential issues, and helped them to be more appreciative of their own lives and gain a deeper awareness of the struggles other people experience. They also suggested that volunteers felt that their involvement contributed to their own personal development, and was personally rewarding. Furthermore, the results highlighted that volunteers found that encounters with family members were sometimes challenging. While some were appreciative, others imposed time limits, became overly reliant on the volunteers, and were sometimes offended, hurt, and angered by what was included in the final biography. It is hoped that the findings of the current study will provide direction for improvements in the biography services that will benefit patients, family members, and volunteers. In particular, our findings highlight the need to provide ongoing support for volunteers to assist them in handling the challenges of volunteering in a palliative care setting.

Volunteer transitions and physical and psychological health among older adults in Taiwan.

PubMed

Li, Yueh-Ping; Chen, Yuh-Min; Chen, Ching-Huey

2013-11-01

This study examines the relationship between transitions in volunteering activity and physical and psychological health outcomes among older adults in Taiwan. We used 3 waves of a longitudinal survey from Taiwan (1999, 2003, and 2007) including 1,847 older adults aged 58-74. We categorized volunteer activity over time into 5 categories and used generalized estimating equations to examine the relationship between volunteer transition group membership and health outcomes. Approximately, 3% of older volunteers kept volunteering and 7% stopped or started their volunteering over time. Engaging in any volunteering, including continuous volunteering, discrete volunteering, active-to-inactive volunteering, and inactive-to-active volunteering, was significantly associated with better self-rated health and higher life satisfaction when compared with the nonvolunteering group. Only those in the continuous volunteer group and those who shifted from inactive-to-active volunteering showed a positive association with better physical function and less depression, compared with the nonvolunteering group. The results suggest that the positive relationship between volunteering and health may decline when older adults discontinue or withdraw from volunteering. More research is needed to explore the mechanism behind older people's desistance from, persistence in, and resumption of volunteer engagement.

Lesbian and bisexual health care.

PubMed Central

Mathieson, C. M.

1998-01-01

OBJECTIVE: To explore lesbian and bisexual women's experiences with their family physicians to learn about barriers to care and about how physicians can provide supportive care. DESIGN: Qualitative study that was part of a larger study of lesbian and bisexual women's health care. SETTING: The province of Nova Scotia, both urban and rural counties. PARTICIPANTS: Ninety-eight self-identified lesbian or bisexual women who volunteered through snowball sampling. Women were interviewed by lesbian, bisexual, or heterosexual female interviewers. METHOD: Semistructured, audiotaped, face-to-face interviews, exploring questions about demographic information, sexual orientation, general health care patterns, preferences for health care providers, disclosure issues, health care information, access issues, and important health care services. Transcription of audiotapes of interviews was followed by content, thematic, and discourse analyses. Thematic analysis is reported in this paper. MAIN OUTCOME FINDINGS: Three themes important for family physicians emerged: the importance of being gay positive, barriers to care, and strategies for providing appropriate care. CONCLUSIONS: Family physicians are in a pivotal position to ensure supportive care for lesbian and bisexual women. Physicians need to recognize barriers to care and to use gay-positive strategies, paying attention to self-education, health history, and clinic environment. PMID:9721419

KSC volunteers help paint Baxley Manor as part of Days of Caring '99

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

1999-01-01

KSC volunteers with Days of Caring '99 share tasks while getting ready to paint at Baxley Manor, an apartment building for senior citizens on Merritt Island. Coordinated by the KSC Community Relations Council, Days of Caring provides an opportunity for employees to volunteer their services in projects such as painting, planting flowers, reading to school children, and more. Organizations accepting volunteers include The Embers, Yellow Umbrella, Serene Harbor, Domestic Violence Program, the YMCA of Brevard County, and others.

KSC volunteers help paint Baxley Manor as part of Days of Caring '99

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

1999-01-01

Volunteers for Days of Caring '99 set up the paint trays for painting at Baxley Manor, an apartment building for senior citizens on Merritt Island. Coordinated by the KSC Community Relations Council, Days of Caring provides an opportunity for employees to volunteer their services in projects such as painting, planting flowers, reading to school children, and more. Organizations accepting volunteers include The Embers, Yellow Umbrella, Serene Harbor, Domestic Violence Program, the YMCA of Brevard County, and others.

KSC volunteers help paint Baxley Manor as part of Days of Caring '99

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

1999-01-01

KSC volunteers for Days of Caring '99 unfold protective materials before getting ready to paint at Baxley Manor, an apartment building for senior citizens on Merritt Island. Coordinated by the KSC Community Relations Council, Days of Caring provides an opportunity for employees to volunteer their services in projects such as painting, planting flowers, reading to school children, and more. Organizations accepting volunteers include The Embers, Yellow Umbrella, Serene Harbor, Domestic Violence Program, the YMCA of Brevard County, and others.

KSC volunteers help paint Baxley Manor as part of Days of Caring '99

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

1999-01-01

A volunteer for Days of Caring '99 prepares a light fixture before painting the walls in the hallway at Baxley Manor, an apartment building for senior citizens on Merritt Island. Coordinated by the KSC Community Relations Council, Days of Caring provides an opportunity for employees to volunteer their services in projects such as painting, planting flowers, reading to school children, and more. Organizations accepting volunteers include The Embers, Yellow Umbrella, Serene Harbor, Domestic Violence Program, the YMCA of Brevard County, and others.

Poor retention does not have to be the rule: retention of volunteer community health workers in Uganda.

PubMed

Ludwick, Teralynn; Brenner, Jennifer L; Kyomuhangi, Teddy; Wotton, Kathryn A; Kabakyenga, Jerome Kahuma

2014-05-01

Globally, health worker shortages continue to plague developing countries. Community health workers are increasingly being promoted to extend primary health care to underserved populations. Since 2004, Healthy Child Uganda (HCU) has trained volunteer community health workers in child health promotion in rural southwest Uganda. This study analyses the retention and motivation of volunteer community health workers trained by HCU. It presents retention rates over a 5-year period and provides insight into volunteer motivation. The findings are based on a 2010 retrospective review of the community health worker registry and the results of a survey on selection and motivation. The survey was comprised of qualitative and quantitative questions and verbally administered to a convenience sample of project participants. Between February 2004 and July 2009, HCU trained 404 community health workers (69% female) in 175 villages. Volunteers had an average age of 36.7 years, 4.9 children and some primary school education. Ninety-six per cent of volunteer community health workers were retained after 1 year (389/404), 91% after 2 years (386/404) and 86% after 5 years (101/117). Of the 54 'dropouts', main reasons cited for discontinuation included 'too busy' (12), moved (11), business/employment (8), death (6) and separation/divorce (6). Of 58 questionnaire respondents, most (87%) reported having been selected at an inclusive community meeting. Pair-wise ranking was used to assess the importance of seven 'motivational factors' among respondents. Those highest ranked were 'improved child health', 'education/training' and 'being asked for advice/assistance by peers', while the modest 'transport allowance' ranked lowest. Our findings suggest that in our rural, African setting, volunteer community health workers can be retained over the medium term. Community health worker programmes should invest in community involvement in selection, quality training, supportive supervision and

42 CFR 418.78 - Conditions of participation-Volunteers.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-10-01

... 42 Public Health 3 2010-10-01 2010-10-01 false Conditions of participation-Volunteers. 418.78 Section 418.78 Public Health CENTERS FOR MEDICARE & MEDICAID SERVICES, DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES (CONTINUED) MEDICARE PROGRAM HOSPICE CARE Conditions of Participation: Patient Care Non-Core...

Care and Respect for Elders in Emergencies program: a preliminary report of a volunteer approach to enhance care in the emergency department.

PubMed

Sanon, Martine; Baumlin, Kevin M; Kaplan, Shari Sirkin; Grudzen, Corita R

2014-02-01

Older adults who present to an emergency department (ED) generally have more-complex medical conditions with complicated care needs and are at high risk for preventable adverse outcomes during their ED visit. The Care and Respect for Elders with Emergencies (CARE) volunteer initiative is a geriatric-focused volunteer program developed to help prevent avoidable complications such as falls, delirium and use of restraints, and functional decline in vulnerable elders in the ED. The CARE program consists of bedside volunteer interventions ranging from conversation to various short activities designed to engage and reorient high-risk, older, unaccompanied individuals in the ED. This article describes the development and characteristics of the CARE program, the services provided, the experiences of the elderly patients and their volunteers, and the growth of the program over time. CARE volunteers provide elders with the additional attention needed in an often chaotic, unfamiliar environment by enhancing their care, improving satisfaction, and preventing potential decline. © 2014, Copyright the Authors Journal compilation © 2014, The American Geriatrics Society.

Poor retention does not have to be the rule: retention of volunteer community health workers in Uganda

PubMed Central

Ludwick, Teralynn; Brenner, Jennifer L; Kyomuhangi, Teddy; Wotton, Kathryn A; Kabakyenga, Jerome Kahuma

2014-01-01

Globally, health worker shortages continue to plague developing countries. Community health workers are increasingly being promoted to extend primary health care to underserved populations. Since 2004, Healthy Child Uganda (HCU) has trained volunteer community health workers in child health promotion in rural southwest Uganda. This study analyses the retention and motivation of volunteer community health workers trained by HCU. It presents retention rates over a 5-year period and provides insight into volunteer motivation. The findings are based on a 2010 retrospective review of the community health worker registry and the results of a survey on selection and motivation. The survey was comprised of qualitative and quantitative questions and verbally administered to a convenience sample of project participants. Between February 2004 and July 2009, HCU trained 404 community health workers (69% female) in 175 villages. Volunteers had an average age of 36.7 years, 4.9 children and some primary school education. Ninety-six per cent of volunteer community health workers were retained after 1 year (389/404), 91% after 2 years (386/404) and 86% after 5 years (101/117). Of the 54 ‘dropouts’, main reasons cited for discontinuation included ‘too busy’ (12), moved (11), business/employment (8), death (6) and separation/divorce (6). Of 58 questionnaire respondents, most (87%) reported having been selected at an inclusive community meeting. Pair-wise ranking was used to assess the importance of seven ‘motivational factors’ among respondents. Those highest ranked were ‘improved child health’, ‘education/training’ and ‘being asked for advice/assistance by peers’, while the modest ‘transport allowance’ ranked lowest. Our findings suggest that in our rural, African setting, volunteer community health workers can be retained over the medium term. Community health worker programmes should invest in community involvement in selection, quality training

Health Benefits of Volunteering in the Wisconsin Longitudinal Study

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Piliavin, Jane Allyn; Siegl, Erica

2007-01-01

We investigate positive effects of volunteering on psychological well-being and self-reported health using all four waves of the Wisconsin Longitudinal Study. Confirming previous research, volunteering was positively related to both outcome variables. Both consistency of volunteering over time and diversity of participation are significantly…

The boundaries of care work: a comparative study of professionals and volunteers in Denmark and Australia.

PubMed

Overgaard, Charlotte

2015-07-01

This paper explores the manner in which two hospices--one located in Denmark and one in Australia--negotiate and determine the boundaries of volunteer workers vis-à-vis paid staff. A comparative case study approach was used to juxtapose organisations with similar activity fields located in different welfare state systems, i.e. a social democratic welfare state and a liberal welfare state. This study involved non-participant observation of volunteers at work and unstructured interviews with volunteers, staff and management in the hospices (n = 41). Data were collected between August 2012 and February 2013. Data were managed using NVivo and analysed thematically. A key finding is that volunteers in the Danish hospice were excluded from all direct care work due to the effective monopoly of the professional care providers, whereas the Australian volunteers participated in the provision of care to the extent that risk could be eliminated or mitigated to an acceptable level. The findings suggest two different models of the roles of volunteers in tension with professional care providers. Both models recognise that volunteers add to the level of care delivered by the organisations and allow for a discussion that moves away from the normative discussions of 'not taking somebody's job', while also recognising that volunteers must be more than just the 'nice extra' if they are to be of any real value to the organisation and to care receivers. © 2014 John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

The volunteer anesthetist: a personal view.

PubMed

Brown, S T

2000-08-01

The most common opportunities for nurse anesthetists to be involved in volunteer anesthesia overseas are usually on a surgical team to provide direct care for selected types of patients or to be involved in teaching local anesthesia providers. The challenges are numerous and unique in each setting. Sharing of knowledge, directly as an instructor or indirectly as a provider, provides for a great impact on health care delivery in many emerging nations. The anesthesia provider who is working to deliver care in another country must consider many variables before taking on such a venture. The type of surgical team or teaching assignment one accepts will determine the type of preparation that must be done before departing. In addition to the many organizational items, one should consider some personal issues as well. Lost wages, transportation costs, and lodging expenses are often paid for by the volunteer. Time away from one's family may also be a consideration. Health care, such as updated immunizations, must be attended to before to departure. Volunteers must be able to provide good care in less than ideal situations, and often with much less equipment and medications than are available in the United States. A review of some of the issues that one should consider before deciding to be a volunteer are outlined in this article. The nurse anesthetist who successfully anticipates and deals with the challenges of volunteer anesthesia will be rewarded with an intense degree of personal satisfaction. The ability to give back to the profession and those who would otherwise not have access to one's skills or knowledge produces a sense of accomplishment that is unique.

International clinical volunteering in Tanzania: A postcolonial analysis of a Global Health business.

PubMed

Sullivan, Noelle

2018-03-01

This article traces how scarcities characteristic of health systems in low-income countries (LICs), and increasing popular interest in Global Health, have inadvertently contributed to the popularisation of a specific Global Health business: international clinical volunteering through private volunteer placement organisations (VPOs). VPOs market neglected health facilities as sites where foreigners can 'make a difference', regardless of their skill set. Drawing on online investigation and ethnographic research in Tanzania over four field seasons from 2011 to 2015, including qualitative interviews with 41 foreign volunteers and 90 Tanzanian health workers, this article offers a postcolonial analysis of VPO marketing and volunteer action in health facilities of LICs. Two prevalent postcolonial racialised tropes inform both VPO marketing and foreign volunteers' discourses and practices in Tanzania. The first trope discounts Tanzanian expertise in order to envision volunteers in expert roles despite lacking training, expertise, or contextual knowledge. The second trope envisions Tanzanian patients as so impoverished that insufficiently trained volunteer help is 'better than nothing at all'. These two postcolonial racialised tropes inform the conceptual work undertaken by VPO marketing schemes and foreign volunteers in order to remake Tanzanian health professionals and patients into appropriate and justifiable sites for foreign volunteer intervention.

Morphine Glucuronidation and Elimination in Intensive Care Patients: A Comparison with Healthy Volunteers.

PubMed

Ahlers, Sabine J G M; Välitalo, Pyry A J; Peeters, Mariska Y M; Gulik, Laura van; van Dongen, Eric P A; Dahan, Albert; Tibboel, Dick; Knibbe, Catherijne A J

2015-11-01

Although morphine is used frequently to treat pain in the intensive care unit, its pharmacokinetics has not been adequately quantified in critically ill patients. We evaluated the glucuronidation and elimination clearance of morphine in intensive care patients compared with healthy volunteers based on the morphine and morphine-3-glucuronide (M3G) concentrations. A population pharmacokinetic model with covariate analysis was developed with the nonlinear mixed-effects modeling software (NONMEM 7.3). The analysis included 3012 morphine and M3G concentrations from 135 intensive care patients (117 cardiothoracic surgery patients and 18 critically ill patients), who received continuous morphine infusions adapted to individual pain levels, and 622 morphine and M3G concentrations from a previously published study of 20 healthy volunteers, who received an IV bolus of morphine followed by a 1-hour infusion. For morphine, a 3-compartment model best described the data, whereas for M3G, a 1-compartment model fits best. In intensive care patients with a normal creatinine concentration, a decrease of 76% was estimated in M3G clearance compared with healthy subjects, conditional on the M3G volume of distribution being the same in intensive care patients and healthy volunteers. Furthermore, serum creatinine concentration was identified as a covariate for both elimination clearance of M3G in intensive care patients and unchanged morphine clearance in all patients and healthy volunteers. Under the assumptions in the model, M3G elimination was significantly decreased in intensive care patients when compared with healthy volunteers, which resulted in substantially increased M3G concentrations. Increased M3G levels were even more pronounced in patients with increased serum creatinine levels. Model-based simulations show that, because of the reduction in morphine clearance in intensive care patients with renal failure, a 33% reduction in the maintenance dose would result in morphine

Are village health volunteers as good as basic health staffs in providing malaria care? A country wide analysis from Myanmar, 2015.

PubMed

Linn, Nay Yi Yi; Kathirvel, Soundappan; Das, Mrinalini; Thapa, Badri; Rahman, Md Mushfiqur; Maung, Thae Maung; Kyaw, Aye Mon Mon; Thi, Aung; Lin, Zaw

2018-06-20

Malaria is one of the major public health problems in Myanmar. Village health volunteers (VHV) are the key malaria diagnosis and treatment service provider at community level in addition to basic health staffs (BHS). This countrywide analysis aimed to assess and compare the accessibility to- and quality of malaria care (treatment initiation, treatment within 24 h and complete treatment delivery) between VHV and BHS in Myanmar. This was a retrospective cohort study using record review of routinely collected programme data available in electronic format. All patients with undifferentiated fever screened and diagnosed for malaria in January-December 2015 by VHV and BHS under National Malaria Control Programme in Myanmar were included in the study. Unadjusted and adjusted prevalence ratios (aPR) were calculated to assess the effect of VHV/BHS on receipt of treatment by patients. Of 978,735 undifferentiated fever patients screened in 2015, 11.0% of patients were found malaria positive and the malaria positivity in VHV and BHS group were 11.1 and 10.9% respectively. Access to malaria care: higher proportion of children aged 5-14 years (21.8% vs 17.3%) and females (43.7% vs 41.8%) with fever were screened for malaria by VHV compared to BHS. However, the same for children aged < 5 years was 2.2% lower in VHV group compared to BHS. Quality of malaria care: the proportion of malaria cases that received treatment was 96.6 and 94.9; treatment initiation within 24 h of fever was 44.7 and 34.1; and, complete treatment delivery was 80.9 and 88.2, respectively, in VHV and BHS groups. After adjustment for potential confounders, patients with malaria provided care by VHV had 1.02 times higher chance of receiving treatment compared to BHS [aPR (95% confidence interval) 1.017 (1.015, 1.020)]. The VHV were more accessible to children and women than BHS in providing malaria screening services. The malaria treatment services provided by VHV was as good as BHS. Further qualitative

Rural Health: The Story of Outreach. A Program of Cooperation in Health Care.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Health Resources and Services Administration (DHHS), Rockville, MD. Office of Rural Health Policy.

Rural Health Outreach is a federal program of demonstration grants designed to encourage organizations to cooperate in delivering health care services to rural Americans. Thirteen programs utilizing innovative collaborations between state agencies, schools, nonprofit organizations, hospitals, volunteers, and the private sector are described a year…

Association between Municipal Health Promotion Volunteers' Health Literacy and Their Level of Outreach Activities in Japan.

PubMed

Taguchi, Atsuko; Murayama, Hiroshi; Murashima, Sachiyo

2016-01-01

To explore the association between health literacy and levels of three types of core activities among health promotion volunteers (developing a healthy lifestyle, outreach to family, and outreach to community members). A cross-sectional, anonymous, self-administered postal survey of registered health promotion volunteers in the Konan area in Shiga Prefecture in Japan, conducted in January 2010. The study sample was 575 registered health promotion volunteers. The survey collected data on health literacy, gender, age, education, self-rated health, perceptions about the volunteer organization, and perceptions of recognition in the community. The level of engagement in health promotion activities was measured by the extent to which the participants engaged in seven healthy behaviors and promoted them to family members and the community. The authors compared the health literacy level and other characteristics of the participants by core health promotion activities, using a chi-squared test, to examine the associations between demographic and other variables and the three core activities (healthy lifestyle, outreach to family, and outreach to community).Logistic regression analysis was conducted to examine the association between the degree to which the volunteers engaged in core activities ("healthy lifestyle," "outreach to family," "outreach to community") and the levels of health literacy (low, medium, high) among health promotion volunteers, controlling for the effects of age, gender, health condition, education which may also have an impact on volunteers' outreach activities. Four hundred and fifty-four questionnaires were returned, a 79.0% response rate. Excluding 16 cases with missing values on health literacy or the degree of health promotion activities, 438 research subjects were included in the analysis (valid response rate: 76.2%). Health literacy and a few demographic and other characteristics of the volunteers were associated with the three core health

Needs and Problems of Posbindu Program: Community Health Volunteers Perspective

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Putri, S. T.; Andriyani, S.

2018-01-01

Posbindu is a form of public participation to conduct early detection and monitoring of risk factors for non-communicable diseases(NCD), and where it was carried out in as an integrated manner, routine and periodic event. This paper aims to investigates the needs and problems on Posbindu Program based on community health volunteers(CHVs) perspective. This study used descriptive qualitative method by open ended questions. Content analysis using to explicating the result. There are 3 theme finding about elderly needs in Posbindu; medical care, support group community, and health education. We found four theme problems which in Posbindu program: low motivation from elderly, Inadequate of facilities, physical disability, failed communication. To be effective in Posbindu program, all the stakeholders have reached consensus on the Posbindu program as elderly need. CHVs need given wide knowledge about early detection, daily care, control disease continuously so that the elderly keep feeling the advantages of coming to the Posbindu.

Volunteers in a hospital - opportunity or threat? Exploratory study from Finland.

PubMed

Koivula, Ulla-Maija; Karttunen, Sirkka-Liisa

2014-01-01

Finland represents one of the Nordic welfare states where the role of the public sector as the organiser and provider of health and social care is strong. However, the amount of voluntary work in social and health care services is surprisingly big. The strongest advocates for keeping the volunteers outside are hospitals and health centres while at the same time they are suffering from shortages of staff and staff is reporting lack of time to provide needed care for their patients. The purpose of this paper is to report the results of a study of the attitudes of professionals towards voluntary work in hospitals. The paper is based on an exploratory study done in three hospitals, two from an urban area and one in a rural area. The interviewees represent nursing and care staff (n=21). The main questions were how staff members see options, constraints and drawbacks of volunteering regarding professional roles, work division, coordination and management. Attitudes of staff varied from positive to conditional. The approaches towards voluntary work varied from holistic to task-centred or patient-centred and were linked with organisational approach, professional approach or considerations of patients' well-being. Critical views were expressed related to managerial issues, patients' safety and quality of care. Increasing the amount of voluntary work done in hospitals would require a considered strategy and a specifically designed process for coordination, management and rules on the division of labour. The research raised themes for further quantitative studies to elaborate the findings on the similarities and differences of the opinions of different staff categories and to be able to develop further the heuristic model of volunteer management triangle suggested in the paper. The study raises questions of the need and promotion of volunteers in general and especially in health care services. It also raises critical views related to voluntary work in hospitals. The study is

Intersections of Home, Health, and Social Engagement in Old Age: Formal Volunteering as a Protective Factor to Health After Relocation.

PubMed

Gonzales, Ernest; Shen, Huei-Wern; Perry, Tam E; Wang, Yi

2018-01-01

This study aims to further our understanding of formal volunteering as a protective mechanism for health in the context of housing relocation and to explore race, gender, and education as moderators. A quasi-experimental design evaluated the effects of volunteering on older adults' health (self-report health, number of instrumental activities of daily living [IADLs], and depressive symptoms) among individuals who relocated but did not volunteer at Time 1 ( N = 682) in the Health and Retirement Study (2008-2010). Propensity score weighting examined health differences at Time 2 between 166 volunteers (treated) and 516 nonvolunteers (controlled). Interaction terms tested moderation. Individuals who moved and engaged in volunteering reported higher levels of self-rated health and fewer IADL difficulties compared to the control group. Race moderated the relationship between volunteering and depressive symptoms, while gender moderated the relationship between volunteering and self-assessed health. Formal volunteering protects different dimensions of health after relocation. Volunteering was particularly beneficial for females and older Whites.

A survey of family members' satisfaction with the services provided by hospice palliative care volunteers.

PubMed

Claxton-Oldfield, Stephen; Gosselin, Natasha; Schmidt-Chamberlain, Kirsten; Claxton-Oldfield, Jane

2010-05-01

A total of 22 family members, whose deceased loved ones had used the services of a hospice palliative care volunteer, responded to a brief survey designed to assess the importance of the different kinds of support offered to them (family members) by the volunteer, their impressions of the volunteers' personal qualities/characteristics, their general experiences with the volunteer, and their overall satisfaction with the volunteer services. The kind of support that received the highest importance rating from family members was the opportunity to take a much-needed break from the demands of caring for their loved one, closely followed by emotional support, the volunteer spending time with them, and the volunteer providing them with information. Family members rated volunteers highly on a list of qualities/characteristics that exemplify individuals who are effective in this role. In all, 85% of the family members felt that their volunteer was well trained and 95% did not feel that their or their loved one's privacy had been invaded by having a volunteer. Overall, family members were very satisfied with the volunteer support they received. Some limitations of the study are discussed.

Volunteer home-based HIV/AIDS care and food crisis in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia: sustainability in the face of chronic food insecurity

PubMed Central

Maes, Kenneth C; Shifferaw, Selamawit; Hadley, Craig; Tesfaye, Fikru

2011-01-01

Low-income volunteers constitute a major part of AIDS care workforces in sub-Saharan Africa, yet little research has been conducted to determine how poverty and insecurity among volunteers impact their wellbeing and the sustainability of the AIDS treatment programmes they support. This paper presents longitudinal ethnographic and epidemiological research documenting how the 2008 food crisis in Addis Ababa affected AIDS care volunteers’ care relationships and motivations. Ethnographic results highlight the distress and demotivation that rising food costs created for caregivers by contributing to their own and their care recipients’ experiences of food insecurity and HIV-related stigmatization. Epidemiological results underscore a high prevalence of food insecurity (approximately 80%) even prior to the peak of food prices. Rising food prices over the 3 years prior to 2008, underemployment and household per capita incomes averaging less than US$1/day, likely contributed to the very high prevalence of food insecurity reported by caregivers in our sample. We also show that new volunteers recruited in early 2008 by one of the non-governmental organizations (NGOs) involved in this study were more likely to be dependants within their households, and that these participants reported lower rates of food insecurity and higher household income. While this shift in volunteer recruitment may help sustain volunteer care programmes in the face of widespread poverty and underemployment, food insecurity was still highly prevalent (58–71%) among this sub-group. Given the inability of the local NGOs that organize volunteers to address the challenge of food insecurity for programme sustainability, our results raise important policy questions regarding compensation for volunteers’ valuable labour and poverty reduction through public health sector job creation. PMID:20439347

Predictors of burnout and health status in Samaritans' listening volunteers.

PubMed

Roche, Adeline; Ogden, Jane

2017-12-01

Samaritan listening volunteers provide emotional support to people in distress or suicidal. Samaritans' has high volunteer turnover, which may be due to burnout. This study evaluated the role of demographic and psychosocial factors in predicting Samaritans listening volunteers' burnout and health status. Samaritans' listening volunteers (n = 216) from seven branches across UK completed an online survey to assess their levels of burnout (emotional exhaustion, depersonalisation, personal accomplishment), subjective health status, coping, empathy and social support. Overall, listeners showed low levels of burnout and good health. Regression analysis revealed that higher emotional exhaustion was predicted by younger age and avoidant coping style; higher depersonalisation was predicted by lower empathy fantasy and higher avoidant coping style; lower personal accomplishment scores were predicted by higher empathy personal distress and worse health status was predicted by more hours per week spent on listening duties, lower social support and higher avoidant coping style. Overall, different factors influenced different facets of burnout. However, higher use of avoidant coping style consistently predicted higher burnout and worse health status, suggesting avoidant coping is an important target for intervention.

The Impact of Work and Volunteer Hours on the Health of Undergraduate Students.

PubMed

Lederer, Alyssa M; Autry, Dana M; Day, Carol R T; Oswalt, Sara B

2015-01-01

To examine the impact of work and volunteer hours on 4 health issues among undergraduate college students. Full-time undergraduate students (N = 70,068) enrolled at 129 institutions who participated in the Spring 2011 American College Health Association-National College Health Assessment II survey. Multiple linear regression and binary logistic regression were used to examine work and volunteer hour impact on depression, feelings of being overwhelmed, sleep, and physical activity. The impact of work and volunteer hours was inconsistent among the health outcomes. Increased work hours tended to negatively affect sleep and increase feelings of being overwhelmed. Students who volunteered were more likely to meet physical activity guidelines, and those who volunteered 1 to 9 hours per week reported less depression. College health professionals should consider integrating discussion of students' employment and volunteering and their intersection with health outcomes into clinical visits, programming, and other services.

It's All About Communication: A Mixed-Methods Approach to Collaboration Between Volunteers and Staff in Pediatric Palliative Care.

PubMed

Meyer, Dorothee; Schmidt, Pia; Zernikow, Boris; Wager, Julia

2018-01-01

Multidisciplinary teamwork is considered central to pediatric palliative care. Although different studies state that volunteers play an essential role in palliative care, little is known about the collaboration between volunteers and staff. This study aims to explore and compare the perspectives of volunteers and staff regarding collaboration in a pediatric palliative care unit. A mixed-methods approach was chosen to appropriately reflect the complex aspects of collaboration. Both face-to-face interviews with staff who work together with volunteers and a group discussion with all volunteers were conducted. These were supplemented by 2 questionnaires designed for this study that examined participants' characteristics and their estimation of what information volunteers need before they meet a patient. Nine staff members and 7 volunteers participated in this study. Their ideas of collaboration could be grouped into 3 categories: (i) factual level of collaboration, (ii) relationship level of collaboration, and (iii) overall appraisal of collaboration (suggestions for improvement). Communication can be considered a key factor in successful collaboration between volunteers and staff. Because many patients in pediatric palliative care units are not able to communicate verbally, good information flow between volunteers and staff is crucial for ensuring quality patient care. Moreover, communication is the key to establishing a team philosophy by clarifying roles and building relationships between volunteers and staff.

Busy yet socially engaged: volunteering, work-life balance, and health in the working population.

PubMed

Ramos, Romualdo; Brauchli, Rebecca; Bauer, Georg; Wehner, Theo; Hämmig, Oliver

2015-02-01

To understand the relationship between volunteering and health in the overlooked yet highly engaged working population, adopting a contextualizing balance approach. We hypothesize that volunteering may function as a psychosocial resource, contributing to work-life balance and, ultimately, health. A total of 746 Swiss workers participated in an online survey; 35% (N = 264) were additionally volunteers in a nonprofit organization. We assessed volunteering, work-life balance perceptions, paid job demands, and resources and health outcomes. After controlling for job characteristics, volunteering was associated with less work-life conflict, burnout and stress, and better positive mental health. Results further revealed that balance perceptions partly explained the relationship between volunteering and health. Volunteering, albeit energy and time-consuming, may contribute to a greater sense of balance for people in the workforce, which might, in turn, positively influence health.

Volunteering in the care of people with severe mental illness: a systematic review

PubMed Central

2012-01-01

Background Much of the literature to date concerning public attitudes towards people with severe mental illness (SMI) has focused on negative stereotypes and discriminatory behaviour. However, there also exists a tradition of volunteering with these people, implying a more positive attitude. Groups with positive attitudes and behaviours towards people with SMI have received relatively little attention in research. They merit further attention, as evidence on characteristics and experiences of volunteers may help to promote volunteering. The present paper aims to systematically review the literature reporting characteristics, motivations, experiences, and benefits of volunteers in the care of people with SMI. Methods In November 2010, a systematic electronic search was carried out in BNI, CINAHL, Embase, Medline, PsycINFO, Cochrane Registers and Web of Science databases, using a combination of ‘volunteer’, ‘mental health’ and ‘outcome’ search terms. A secondary hand search was performed in relevant psychiatric journals, grey literature and references. Results 14 papers met the inclusion criteria for the review, with data on a total of 540 volunteers. The results suggest that volunteers are a mostly female, but otherwise heterogeneous group. Motivations for volunteering are a combination of what they can ‘give’ to others and what they can ‘get’ for themselves. Overall volunteers report positive experiences. The main benefit to persons with a psychiatric illness is the gaining of a companion, who is non-stigmatizing and proactive in increasing their social-community involvement. Conclusions The evidence base for volunteers in care of people with SMI is small and inconsistent. However there are potential implications for both current and future volunteering programmes from the data. As the data suggests that there is no ‘typical’ volunteer, volunteering programmes should recruit individuals from a variety of backgrounds. The act of volunteering

Does the relation between volunteering and well-being vary with health and age?

PubMed

Okun, Morris A; Rios, Rebeca; Crawford, Aaron V; Levy, Roy

2011-01-01

Previous studies have established a positive association between organizational volunteering and well-being. In the current study, we examined whether the relations between organizational volunteering and positive affect, negative affect, and resilience are modified by respondents' age and number of chronic health conditions. This study used cross-sectional data from the 2008 Arizona Health Survey of residents 18 years old and older (N = 4,161). Multiple regression analyses provided no support for the hypothesis that age moderates the association between volunteer status and positive affect, negative affect, and resilience. In contrast, there was a significant (p < .05) interaction between volunteer status and chronic health conditions on positive affect and resilience. Consistent with the compensatory hypothesis, as number of chronic health conditions increased, the relations between volunteering and positive affect and resilience scores increased. Implications of these findings for increasing volunteering among adults with multiple chronic health conditions are discussed.

Spiritual care in the training of hospice volunteers in Germany.

PubMed

Gratz, Margit; Paal, Piret; Emmelmann, Moritz; Roser, Traugott

2016-10-01

Hospice volunteers often encounter questions related to spirituality. It is unknown whether spiritual care receives a corresponding level of attention in their training. Our survey investigated the current practice of spiritual care training in Germany. An online survey sent to 1,332 hospice homecare services for adults in Germany was conducted during the summer of 2012. We employed the SPSS 21 software package for statistical evaluation. All training programs included self-reflection on personal spirituality as obligatory. The definitions of spirituality used in programs differ considerably. The task of defining training objectives is randomly delegated to a supervisor, a trainer, or to the governing organization. More than half the institutions work in conjunction with an external trainer. These external trainers frequently have professional backgrounds in pastoral care/theology and/or in hospice/palliative care. While spiritual care receives great attention, the specific tasks it entails are rarely discussed. The response rate for our study was 25.0% (n = 332). A need exists to develop training concepts that outline distinct contents, methods, and objectives. A prospective curriculum would have to provide assistance in the development of training programs. Moreover, it would need to be adaptable to the various concepts of spiritual care employed by the respective institutions and their hospice volunteers.

Cross-Sectional Survey of Physicians on Providing Volunteer Care for In-Flight Medical Events.

PubMed

Chatfield, Eric; Bond, William F; McCay, Bradley; Thibeault, Claude; Alves, Paulo M; Squillante, Marc; Timpe, Joshua; Cook, Courtney J; Bertino, Raymond E

2017-09-01

Airline carriers have equipment, procedures, and protocols in place to handle in-flight medical events (IFMEs). Community physicians may be asked for aid during IFMEs. Cross-Sectional Survey of Physicians on Providing Volunteer Care for In-Flight Medical Events surveyed self-assessed awareness and knowledge, perceived barriers, and suggestions for improving responses to IFMEs. We composed a survey regarding clinicians' self-assessed understanding of in-flight resources, procedures, flight environmental issues, and Good Samaritan protections. The survey was distributed primarily via electronic mail to medical staff list serves to a total of approximately 1300 physicians representing 2 health networks that serve urban, suburban, and rural areas in both inpatient and outpatient settings. Total number of responses was 418. Physician response rate was 29.2% (379/1300). In 3% (39/1300), the responder either failed to indicate their background or was another type of health care professional (e.g., dentist, medical student, physician assistant). Of the physicians, 37.5% (142/379) were primary care and 42% (177/418) of responders reported at least one experience of being asked to volunteer. When asked how well they understand the protocols with which medical events are handled, 64% (262/412) responded "not at all" and 23% (94/412) reported "a little" knowledge. Only 56% (223/397) answered that 75% or more of U.S. flights have ground medical support available. There were 73% (298/411) who believed airlines were required to have medical supplies, but 54% (222/410) reported no knowledge of supplies available. A total of 69% (279/403) believed or were sure that the U.S. has a Good Samaritan law that applies to IFMEs. Many physicians lack basic knowledge about IFMEs. Responders may assist more effectively if better informed about protocols and the availability of ground medical support. Education and timely information support are recommended.Chatfield E, Bond WF, McCay B

No Exceptions: Documenting the Abortion Experiences of US Peace Corps Volunteers

PubMed Central

Arnott, Grady; Parniak, Simone; LaRoche, Kathryn J.; Trussell, James

2015-01-01

Since 1979, US federal appropriations bills have prohibited the use of federal funds from covering abortion care for Peace Corps volunteers. There are no exceptions; unlike other groups that receive health care through US federal funding streams, including Medicaid recipients, federal employees, and women in federal prisons, abortion care is not covered for volunteers even in cases of life endangerment, rape, or incest. We interviewed 433 returned Peace Corps volunteers to document opinions of, perceptions about, and experiences with obtaining abortion care. Our results regarding the abortion experiences of Peace Corps volunteers, especially those who were raped, bear witness to a profound inequity and show that the time has come to lift the “no exceptions” funding ban on abortion coverage. PMID:25494207

What can volunteer co-providers contribute to health systems? The role of people living with HIV in the Thai paediatric HIV programme.

PubMed

Tulloch, Olivia; Taegtmeyer, Miriam; Ananworanich, Jintanat; Chasombat, Sanchai; Kosalaraksa, Pope; Theobald, Sally

2015-11-01

In Thailand people living with HIV (PLHIV) have played a major role in shaping policy and practice. They have acted as volunteer co-providers, although their potential in terms of paediatric service provision has seldom been explored from a health systems perspective. We describe the Thai paediatric HIV care system and use both demand- and supply-side perspectives to explore the impact, opportunities and challenges of PLHIV acting as volunteer co-providers. We employed qualitative methods to assess experiences and perceptions and triangulate stakeholder perspectives. Data were collected in Khon Kaen province, in the poorest Northeastern region of Thailand: three focus group discussions and two workshops (total participants n = 31) with co-providers and hospital staff; interviews with ART service-users (n = 35). Nationally, key informant interviews were conducted with policy actors (n = 20). Volunteer co-providers were found to be ideally placed to broker the link between clinic and communities for HIV infected children and played an important part in the vital psychosocial support component of HIV care. As co-providers they were recognized as having multiple roles linking and delivering services in clinics and communities. Clear emerging needs include strengthened coordination and training as well as strategies to support funding. Using motivated volunteers with a shared HIV status as co-providers for specific clinical services can contribute to strengthening health systems in Asia; they are critical players in delivering care (supply side) and being responsive to service-users needs (demand side). Co-providers blur the boundaries between these two spheres. Sustaining and optimising co-providers' contribution to health systems strengthening requires a health systems approach. Our findings help to guide policy makers and service providers on how to balance clinical priorities with psycho-social responsiveness and on how best to integrate the views and

Linking Family Life and Health Professionals, Volunteers, and Family Life Students in a Community Hospice Program.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Fruit, Dorothy

This paper describes the Portage County, Ohio community hospice program, emphasizing the linkages between family life specialists, health professionals, volunteers, and students. Hospice service is defined as a specialized, home-based program for the management of pain and other symptoms of terminal illness, with the family as the unit of care.…

Volunteering predicts health among those who value others: two national studies.

PubMed

Poulin, Michael J

2014-02-01

The purpose of these studies was to examine the role of positive views of other people in predicting stress-buffering effects of volunteering on mortality and psychological distress. In Study 1, stressful life events, volunteering, and hostile cynicism assessed in a baseline Detroit-area survey (N = 846) predicted survival over a 5-year period, adjusting for relevant covariates. In Study 2, stressful life events, volunteering, and world benevolence beliefs assessed in a baseline national survey (N = 1,157) predicted psychological distress over a 1-year period, adjusting for distress at baseline. In Study 1, a Cox proportional hazard model indicated that for individuals low in cynicism, stress predicted mortality at low levels of volunteering but not at high levels of volunteering. This effect was not present among those high in cynicism. In Study 2, multiple regression analysis revealed that among individuals high in world benevolence beliefs, stress predicted elevated distress at low levels of volunteering but not at high levels of volunteering. This effect was absent for those lower in world benevolence beliefs. Consistent with prior research on helping behavior, these studies indicate that helping behavior can buffer the effects of stress on health. However, the results of these studies indicate that stress-buffering effects of volunteering are limited to individuals with positive views of other people. Not all individuals may benefit from volunteering, and health-promotion efforts seeking to draw on health benefits of helping behavior may need to target their approach accordingly. PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2014 APA, all rights reserved.

Continuing professional development for volunteers working in palliative care in a tertiary care cancer institute in India: a cross-sectional observational study of educational needs.

PubMed

Deodhar, Jayita Kedar; Muckaden, Mary Ann

2015-01-01

Training programs for volunteers prior to their working in palliative care are well-established in India. However, few studies report on continuing professional development programs for this group. To conduct a preliminary assessment of educational needs of volunteers working in palliative care for developing a structured formal continuing professional development program for this group. Cross-sectional observational study conducted in the Department of Palliative Medicine of a tertiary care cancer institute in India. Participant volunteers completed a questionnaire, noting previous training, years of experience, and a comprehensive list of topics for inclusion in this program, rated in order of importance according to them. Descriptive statistics for overall data and Chi-square tests for categorical variables for group comparisons were applied using Statistical Package for Social Sciences version 18. Fourteen out of 17 volunteers completed the questionnaire, seven having 5-10-years experience in working in palliative care. A need for continuing professional development program was felt by all participants. Communication skills, more for children and elderly specific issues were given highest priority. Spiritual-existential aspects and self-care were rated lower in importance than psychological, physical, and social aspects in palliative care. More experienced volunteers (>5 years of experience) felt the need for self-care as a topic in the program than those with less (<5-years experience) (P < 0.05). Understanding palliative care volunteers' educational needs is essential for developing a structured formal continuing professional development program and should include self-care as a significant component.

Volunteering: beyond an act of charity.

PubMed

Dickson, Murray; Dickson, Geraldine Gerri

2005-12-01

Volunteering internationally appeals to health care professionals and students for a variety of reasons and serves a number of purposes. If international voluntarism is to be mutually advantageous, however, host countries, volunteers and project sponsors need to understand how best they can work together and what can be achieved by volunteers for the greatest benefit of all concerned. This paper is intended to contribute to the growing dialogue on international voluntarism and offers suggestions to strengthen its value, from the perspectives of health workers in a developing country and the authors" experiences over the past 30 years. The paper also identifies undesirable side effects and disabling interventions of international initiatives and examines the notions of aid and assistance. One strategy to prepare volunteers for upcoming international efforts as well as to address inequities at home is involvement with underserved populations in our own country.

Impact of m-health application used by community health volunteers on improving utilisation of maternal, new-born and child health care services in a rural area of Uttar Pradesh, India.

PubMed

Prinja, Shankar; Nimesh, Ruby; Gupta, Aditi; Bahuguna, Pankaj; Gupta, Madhu; Thakur, Jarnail Singh

2017-07-01

To raise the quality of counselling by community health volunteers resulting in improved uptake of maternal, neonatal and child health services (MNCH), an m-health application was introduced under a project named 'Reducing Maternal and Newborn Deaths (ReMiND)' in district Kaushambi in India. We report the impact of this project on coverage of key MNCH services. A pre- and post-quasi-experimental design was undertaken to assess the impact of intervention. This project was introduced in two community development blocks in Kaushambi district in 2012. Two other blocks from the same district were selected as controls after matching for coverage of two indicators at baseline - antenatal care and institutional deliveries. The Annual Health Survey conducted by the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare in 2011 served as pre-intervention data, whereas a household survey in four blocks of Kaushambi district in 2015 provided post-intervention coverage of key services. Propensity score matched samples from intervention and control areas in pre-intervention and post-intervention periods were analysed using difference-in-difference method to estimate the impact of ReMiND project. We found a statistically significant increase in coverage of iron-folic acid supplementation (12.58%), self-reporting of complication during pregnancy (13.11%) and after delivery (19.6%) in the intervention area. The coverage of three or more antenatal care visits, tetanus toxoid vaccination, full antenatal care and ambulance usage increased in intervention area by 10.3%, 4.28%, 1.1% and 2.06%, respectively; however, the changes were statistically insignificant. Three of eight services which were targeted for improvement under ReMiND project registered a significant improvement as result of m-health intervention. © 2017 John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

Environmental Volunteering and Health Outcomes over a 20-Year Period

PubMed Central

Pillemer, Karl; Fuller-Rowell, Thomas E.; Reid, M. C.; Wells, Nancy M.

2010-01-01

Purpose: This study tested the hypothesis that volunteering in environmental organizations in midlife is associated with greater physical activity and improved mental and physical health over a 20-year period.  Design and Methods: The study used data from two waves (1974 and 1994) of the Alameda County Study, a longitudinal study of health and mortality that has followed a cohort of 6,928 adults since 1965. Using logistic and multiple regression models, we examined the prospective association between environmental and other volunteerism and three outcomes (physical activity, self-reported health, and depression), with 1974 volunteerism predicting 1994 outcomes, controlling for a number of relevant covariates.  Results: Midlife environmental volunteering was significantly associated with physical activity, self-reported health, and depressive symptoms.  Implications: This population-based study offers the first epidemiological evidence for a significant positive relationship between environmental volunteering and health and well-being outcomes. Further research, including intervention studies, is needed to confirm and shed additional light on these initial findings. PMID:20172902

Lessons Learned Preparing Volunteer Midwives for Service in Haiti: After the Earthquake.

PubMed

Floyd, Barbara O'Malley

2013-01-01

Midwives for Haiti is an organization that focuses on the education and training of skilled birth attendants in Haiti, a country with a high rate of maternal and infant mortality and where only 26% of births are attended by skilled health workers. Following the 2010 earthquake, Midwives for Haiti received requests to expand services and numerous professional midwives answered the call to volunteer. This author was one of those volunteers. The purpose of the study was: 1) to develop a description of the program's strengths and its deficits in order to determine if there was a need to improve the preparation of volunteers prior to service and 2) to make recommendations aimed at strengthening the volunteers' contributions to the education of Haiti and auxiliary midwives. Three distinct but closely related questionnaires were developed to survey Haitian students, staff midwives, and volunteers who served with Midwives for Haiti. Questions were designed to elicit information about how well the volunteers were prepared for their experience, the effectiveness of translation services, and suggestions for improving the preparation of volunteers and strengthening the education program. Analysis of the surveys of volunteers, staff, midwives, and the Haitian students generated several common themes. The 3 groups agreed that the volunteers made an effective contribution to the program of education and that the volunteer midwives need more preparation prior to serving in Haiti. The 3 groups also agreed on the need for better translators and recommended more structure to the education program. The results of this study are significant to international health care organizations that use volunteer health care professionals to provide services. The results support a growing body of knowledge that international health aid organizations may use to strengthen the preparation, support, and effectiveness of volunteer health providers.

Assessment of non-financial incentives for volunteer community health workers - the case of Wukro district, Tigray, Ethiopia.

PubMed

Haile, Fisaha; Yemane, Dejen; Gebreslassie, Azeb

2014-09-22

Volunteer community health workers (VCHW) are health care providers who are trained but do not have any professional certification. They are intended to fill the gap for unmet curative, preventative, and health promotion health needs of communities. This study aims to investigate the non-financial incentives for VCHWs and factors affecting their motivation. A cross-sectional quantitative study was performed from February to March 2013. A total of 400 randomly selected female VCHWs were included using the district health office registers. Finally, multivariate logistic regression was used to determine the independent predictors of VCHW motivation. Significant numbers (48%) of study participants have mentioned future training as a major non-financial incentive. Age between 20 and 36 years old (adjusted odds ratio (AOR) = 1.45, 95% CI = 1.18, 2.13), married VCHWs (AOR = 3.84, 95% CI = 1.73, 5.02), presence of children under five years old (AOR = 0.2, 95% CI = 0.09, 0.71), allowing volunteer withdrawal (AOR = 1.35, 95% CI = 1.06, 2.47), and establishment of a local endowment fund for community health workers after they left volunteerism (AOR = 1.11, 95% CI = 1.05, 1.91) are all factors associated with VCHW motivation. Future training was mentioned as the prime non-financial incentive. Age, marital status, presence of children under five, allowing volunteer withdrawal, and establishment of a local endowment fund were identified as the independent predictors of motivation. Therefore, considering a non-financial incentive package, including further training and allowing volunteer withdrawal, would be helpful to sustain volunteerism.

Addressing refractive error visual impairment: volunteer organisations' alignment with Vision 2020 and public health principles.

PubMed

Pearce, Matthew G; Pearce, Nicole

2012-11-01

Eye care professionals have been making short visits to developing countries for decades in an effort to reduce visual impairment caused by refractive error. A 2006 survey revealed that volunteer organisations were not working within the Vision 2020 framework. Recommendations were made for volunteer organisations that would better align their work with accepted Vision 2020 and public health principles. This study re-evaluates the alignment of volunteer organisations with Vision 2020 and public health principles. To determine their philosophies and methods, a web-based survey was sent to 89 volunteer organisations identified from an internet search. The response rate was 48 per cent. Many (70.7 per cent) organisations exclusively mention direct service provision in their statement of purpose, often provided by student volunteers (75.6 per cent). A few (19.5 per cent) provide short training in refraction, not necessarily following best principles. The majority (82.1 per cent) dispenses recycled spectacles and many use medications not on national essential drug lists. Few attempt to follow aid effectiveness principles with only 26.8 per cent stating they follow Vision 2020 country plans. Overall, as in 2006, the work of these organisations is largely not in alignment with Vision 2020 and public health principles. Organisations interested in decreasing visual impairment due to refractive error in the developing world are encouraged to transition to organisations that not only recognise but also implement public health principles. This should include reprioritisation of their work to developing human resources and infrastructure, determining the burden and causes of disease, assisting in the training of mid-level personnel and providing professional and community education, collaborating via partnerships, discontinuing the use of recycled spectacles and inappropriate medications, and evaluating their outcomes. Following these recommendations as well as creating a better

Utilizing online tools to increase volunteer ombudsmen presence in long-term care.

PubMed

Shelley, Greg K; Castro, Carmen; Cron, Stanley G

2015-01-01

In this descriptive study, former and current volunteer ombudsmen (n = 65) completed an online survey and Chi-square analyses were used to determine group differences in order to examine the impact of internet-based communication on the recruitment and retention of volunteer long-term care ombudsmen. The results showed that the program's shift to internet-based recruitment and communication methods helped increase the number of volunteers by 50% and contributed to a positive shift in role perception and satisfaction. Consequently, the proliferation of internet and social media usage permits greater volunteer management opportunities than previously were available. These tools also allow for consistency of message, extended training opportunities, and recourse to resources at need which permit ombudsmen volunteers to identify more readily with the role of resident advocate and receive greater performance satisfaction as it relates to that role. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Access to high-tech health care. Ethics.

PubMed

Merrill, J M

1991-03-15

Access to health care has always been limited by personal and social economics. Poverty remains one element that correlates with poor prognosis in all varieties of cancer. Prior to becoming standard therapy, elements of high-tech health care are often widely available as research protocols, participation in which is generally available without considerations of insurance coverage or personal wealth. Any person may still volunteer participation in research protocols and thereby partake in high-tech advances even before these become standard therapy. However, recent developments in the conduct of research now may limit participation. Medicare and third party insurance payers proscribe payment for research project care and always have. Recently, more than ever before, reimbursements to physicians and health care institutions have been more closely scrutinized to reject all payment in research settings. In situations in which cost and availability of the new technology, whether machine or drug, limit participation, research entrepreneurs have made research participation available to only those who can pay for it. These and similar developments threaten to limit access to high-tech health care and to actually impede cancer research.

Stand by me: a volunteer's reflection on working on an academic palliative care unit in Germany.

PubMed

Böddeker, Andrea; Smeding, Ruthmarijke; Voltz, Raymond

2010-09-01

To relate personal experience and reflections on the tasks and role of a volunteer in an academic palliative care unit into the context of the English publications of 2009. We took a snapshot of the most recent publications as a way of placing the rather unique experiences of this German volunteer in an international context. Five recent studies were found discussing the importance of volunteers in an interdisciplinary context, but mainly focusing on the volunteer's role in the community, interacting with terminally ill patients and their caregivers. Furthermore, aspects of ethical issues, reasons for starting and continuing to volunteer for hospice and the role of male volunteers were evaluated in these studies. The studies feature on the one hand the positive recognition of volunteers, for example, two studies revealed a significant interest by the respondents of having volunteers if they were dying. Also, these articles focused on family carers, who voted for the service of hospice/palliative care volunteers; on the other hand, efforts have to be made to improve the recruitment of volunteers especially if it comes to male support. A further study, reporting on ethical issues, indicates that little is known about these issues when it comes to a volunteer's interaction with a patient in difficult situations, how these are to be managed. These studies give us valuable clues on how and where to make continuous improvements.

An analysis of contextual information relevant to medical care unexpectedly volunteered to researchers by asthma patients.

PubMed

Black, Heather L; Priolo, Chantel; Gonzalez, Rodalyn; Geer, Sabrina; Adam, Bariituu; Apter, Andrea J

2012-09-01

To describe and categorize contextual information relevant to patients' medical care unexpectedly volunteered to research personnel as part of a patient advocate (PA) intervention to facilitate access health care, communication with medical personnel, and self-management of a chronic disease such as asthma. We adapted a patient navigator intervention, to overcome barriers to access and communication for adults with moderate or severe asthma. Informed by focus groups of patients and providers, our PAs facilitated preparation for a visit with an asthma provider, attended the visit, confirmed understanding, and assisted with post-visit activities. During meetings with researchers, either for PA activities or for data collection, participants frequently volunteered personal and medical information relevant for achieving successful self-management that was not routinely shared with medical personnel. For this project, researchers journaled information not captured by the structured questionnaires and protocol. Using a qualitative analysis, we describe (1) researchers' journals of these unique communications; (2) their relevance for accomplishing self-management; (3) PAs' formal activities including teach-back, advocacy, and facilitating appointment making; and (4) observations of patients' interactions with the clinical practices. In 83 journals, patients' social support (83%), health (68%), and deportment (69%) were described. PA assistance with navigating the medical system (59%), teach-back (46%), and observed interactions with patient and medical staff (76%) were also journaled. Implicit were ways patients and practices could overcome barriers to access and communication. These journals describe the importance of seeking contextual and medically relevant information from all patients and, especially, those with significant morbidities, prompting patients for barriers to access to health care, and confirming understanding of medical information.

What do women gain from volunteering? The experience of lay Arab and Jewish women volunteers in the Women for Women's Health programme in Israel.

PubMed

Daoud, Nihaya; Shtarkshall, Ronny; Laufer, Neri; Verbov, Gina; Bar-El, Hagar; Abu-Gosh, Nasreen; Mor-Yosef, Shlomo

2010-03-01

Ambiguous feelings regarding women engaging in formal volunteering and concerns about their exploitation might explain the dearth of studies regarding the volunteering benefits specifically experienced by low socioeconomic status women. The current study examined benefits of volunteering among women participating in Women for Women's Health (WWH), a lay health volunteers (LHV) programme implemented in Jewish and Arab communities in Israel, and aiming at empowering such women to become active volunteers and promote health activities in their communities. Two years after the introduction of WWH in each community, all 45 Jewish and 25 Arab volunteers were contacted by phone and invited to participate in the focus group discussions. Five focus group discussions were conducted with 25/42 Jewish volunteers in 2003 and four with 20/25 Arab volunteers in 2005. The other volunteers could not attend the scheduled meetings or became inactive for personal reasons. Four benefit categories were identified in both ethnic groups: 1. Personal benefits of having increased knowledge, feeling self-satisfaction, mastering new skills and performing healthy behaviours; 2. Group-social benefits of social support and sense of cohesion; 3. Purposive benefits of achieving the WWH mission and goals; 4. Sociopolitical benefits of learning to accept the other and experiencing increased solidarity. However, the relatively less privileged Arab volunteers enumerated more benefits within the personal and purposive categories. They also identified the unique sociocultural category of improving women's status in the community by creating a legitimate space for women by public sphere involvement, traditionally solely a male domain. We conclude that volunteering in community-based health promotion programmes can be an empowering experience for lay women without being exploitative. Positive volunteering benefits will be even more discernable among underprivileged women who enjoy fewer opportunities in

[The participation of seniors in volunteer activities: a systematic review].

PubMed

Godbout, Elisabeth; Filiatrault, Johanne; Plante, Michelle

2012-02-01

Volunteer work can be a very significant form of social participation for seniors. It can also provide seniors with important physical and psychological health benefits. This explains why occupational therapists and other health care professionals, as well as community workers who are concerned with healthy aging, appeal to seniors to volunteer in health promotion and community support However, the recruitment and ongoing involvement of seniors as volunteers is often challenging. A systematic review of the literature was undertaken to enlighten practitioners working in this domain. The objective was to identify factors that influence seniors' participation in volunteer work. Six bibliographic databases were searched using key words. A total of 27 relevant papers were retrieved and allowed an identification of a series of factors that could influence seniors' participation in volunteer work, namely personal factors, environmental factors, and occupational factors. This analysis leads to practical guidelines for facilitating the recruitment and maintenance of seniors' engagement in volunteer work.

Why do community health workers volunteer? A qualitative study in Kenya.

PubMed

Takasugi, T; Lee, A C K

2012-10-01

Globally, there is a dire shortage of healthcare workers, but the situation is particularly bad in low- and middle-income countries. To address this, task shifting of clinical work to lower-level staff, including volunteer health workers, has been used. Whilst there are examples worldwide of such an approach working, the sustainability of programmes based on a volunteer workforce is less certain. In addition, little is known about the factors that motivate such volunteers. This study sought to ascertain these motivational drivers. Qualitative study using focus group discussions. Qualitative study of volunteer community health workers (CHWs) in a rural district of Western Kenya. Twenty-three CHWs were sampled purposively, and took part in six focus group discussions. Thematic analysis was performed on the transcribed discussions. A variety of factors were identified as important drivers of motivation. These included financial as well as non-financial drivers, such as personal recognition, personal development and working conditions. There are serious unanswered questions regarding the viability of healthcare programmes founded on a workforce reliant on volunteer CHWs. This study revealed the importance of some form of reward, be it financial or otherwise, in order to retain and maintain the engagement and motivation of volunteer CHWs in these settings. Copyright © 2012 The Royal Society for Public Health. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

A narrative literature review of the contribution of volunteers in end-of-life care services.

PubMed

Morris, Sara; Wilmot, Amanda; Hill, Matthew; Ockenden, Nick; Payne, Sheila

2013-05-01

Volunteers are integral to the history of hospices and continue to play a vital role. However, economic, policy and demographic challenges in the twenty-first century raise questions about how best to manage this essential resource. This narrative review explores the recent literature on end-of-life care volunteering and reflects upon the issues pertinent to current organisational challenges and opportunities. The parameters of the review were set deliberately wide in order to capture some of the nuances of contemporary volunteer practices. Articles reporting on research or evaluation of adult end-of-life care services (excluding prison services) that use volunteers and were published in English between 2000 and 2011 were included. Seven electronic databases, key journals and grey literature databases. Sixty-eight articles were included in the analysis. The articles were drawn from an international literature, while acknowledging that volunteer roles vary considerably by organisation and/or by country and over time. The majority of articles were small in scale and diverse in methodology, but the same topics repeatedly emerged from both the qualitative and quantitative data. The themes identified were individual volunteer factors (motivation, characteristics of volunteers, stress and coping, role boundaries and value) and organisational factors (recruiting for diversity, support and training and volunteers' place in the system). The tensions involved in negotiating the boundary spaces that volunteers inhabit, informality and regulation, diversity issues and the cultural specificity of community models, are suggested as topics that merit further research and could contribute to the continuing development of the volunteer workforce.

[Burnout in volunteer health workers].

PubMed

Argentero, P; Bonfiglio, N S; Pasero, R

2006-01-01

While diverse studies carried out in nursing and medical personnel have demonstrated that health workers can be subject to burnout, little effort has been focused on investigating burnout in volunteer hospital workers. The aim of the present study was to verify if burnout exists with volunteer auxiliary personnel and investigate what organizational conditions may favour it. The study was carried out on 80 volunteer workers of the Red Cross of Mortara (PV), subdivided into two categories: those performing emergency interventions and those performing routine services. For the evaluation of burnout, the Italian version of the Maslach Burnout Inventory was used, together with a qualitative type of methodology. A 5-factor multivariate analysis (sex x shift x team x seniority x role), having as dependent variables the three scales of the MBI, showed that the highest values of depersonalization and fulfillment are found in the emergency team, and that subjects with least seniority are those who are least satisfied or fulfilled. The category of team-leader resulted as that with the highest values of emotional burnout, while sex- and shift-based differences were restricted to routine service workers. Despite these differences, findings showed that subjects are minimally affected by problems linked to burnout, although some relational and organizational difficulties emerged with the medical staff that underlie a certain degree of professional dissatisfaction.

NASA Administrator Bolden Volunteers with the DC Cares Program

NASA Image and Video Library

2009-12-14

NASA Administrator Charles Bolden spent time volunteering with DC Cares at the Park View Recreation Center in Washington, DC for their Santa's Workshop program, Monday, Dec. 14, 2009. Mr. Bolden spoke with students about his experience as a former NASA astronaut and current NASA Administrator, encouraging them to study math and science and to stay in school. Photo Credit: (NASA/Bill Ingalls)

OA8 Caring for the family caregiver: working with volunteers to implement and improve a service to enable family caregivers to maintain their own wellbeing.

PubMed

Cohen, S Robin; Keats, Susan; Cherba, Maria; Allen, Dawn; MacKinnon, Christopher J; Bitzas, Vasiliki; Kogan, Naomi; Penner, Jamie L; Calislar, Monica Parmar; Feindel, Anna; Lapointe, Bernard; Baxter, Sharon; O'Brien, Suzanne; Stajduhar, Kelli

2015-04-01

Family caregivers suffer physically, mentally, and spiritually. Community volunteers play an important role in supporting patients at the end of life or former caregivers in bereavement. However, there are no research reports of volunteer services focused on maintaining the wellbeing of end-of-life caregivers. To have volunteers, a hired volunteer coordinator, health care providers, and researchers implement and formatively evaluate a volunteer service to enable family caregivers to maintain their well being while providing care and subsequent bereavement. This presentation will focus on the volunteers' roles with the project as both agents of change to the service and as support for the caregivers. A qualitative formative evaluation informed by Guba and Lincoln's Fourth Generation Evaluation (1989) participatory design was conducted. Data was collected through individual interviews, focus groups, participant observation during volunteer support meetings, and through volunteers' written reflections. Amongst the volunteers, volunteer coordinator, and principal investigator, there was mutual respect for and interest in learning about everyone's roles and experiences in the project. The experience was rewarding because they felt they helped the family caregiver and enjoyed developing and improving the service and working in a supportive team. Volunteers' challenges included being nervous for their first meeting with a caregiver, and frustration with some rules put in place to protect them (e.g. not helping the caregiver with direct care for the patient). Volunteers can be an effective part of the research team, while providing valuable support and encouragement for family caregivers to maintain their own wellbeing. © 2015, Published by the BMJ Publishing Group Limited. For permission to use (where not already granted under a licence) please go to http://group.bmj.com/group/rights-licensing/permissions.

Volunteer health professionals and emergencies: assessing and transforming the legal environment.

PubMed

Hodge, James G; Gable, Lance A; Cálves, Stephanie H

2005-01-01

Volunteer health professionals (VHPs) are essential in emergencies to fill surge capacity and provide needed medical expertise. While some VHPs are well-organized and trained, others arrive spontaneously at the site of a disaster. Lacking organization, training, and identification, they may actually impede emergency efforts. Complications involving medical volunteers in New York City after September 11, 2001, led Congress to authorize federal authorities to assist states and territories in developing emergency systems for the advance registration of volunteer health professionals (ESARVHP). Through advance registration, volunteers can be vetted, trained, and mobilized more effectively during emergencies. The use of VHPs, however, raises multiple legal questions: What constitutes an emergency, how is it declared, and what are the consequences? When are volunteers liable for their actions? When may volunteers who are licensed or certified in one state legally practice their profession in another state? Are volunteers entitled to compensation for harms they incur? This article examines the legal framework underlying the registration and use of volunteers during emergencies and offers recommendations for legal reform, including: (1) establish minimum standards to facilitate interjurisdictional emergency response, improve coordination, and enhance reciprocity of licensing and credentialing; (2) develop liability provisions for VHPs that balance their need to respond without significant fear of civil liability with patients' rights to legal recourse for egregious harms; and (3) provide basic levels of protections for VHPs harmed, injured, or killed while responding to emergencies.

[Models of Mental Health Care for Vulnerable Refugees in the Community].

PubMed

Schellong, Julia; Epple, Franziska; Weidner, Kerstin; Möllering, Andrea

2017-04-01

A non-neglectable portion of people that have fled to Germany have been subjected to expulsion, violence, torture and grave human loss. In some of them, signs of secondary mental problems are obvious. In the light of the efforts at integration, these diseases must not be neglected. Outlined are the federal legal requirements and how the cost coverage, as well as the admission to health care system, is structured. Additionally, 2 exemplary regional models for psychosomatic health care are being introduced: Dresden's "Stepped Care Model for Psychologically Vulnerable Refugees" includes phased offers for prevention and treatment of acute mental crises, as well as somatoform disorders in refugees and their volunteer helpers. The PSZ in Bielefeld unites already existing expertise of social work and trauma therapy to form a shared project and favors, among other things, training courses and the instruction of language mediators. The local circumstances and differences lead to individual, sometimes totally new solutions. Already existing clinical care offers as well as concepts of trauma therapy are focal points for the development of a comprehensive health care provision. Most effective is a combination of medicinal care, psychosocial networking and psychosomatic treatment. For a working health care provision without parallel structures it is indispensible to use expertise in trauma therapy that is already in place. While being very resource-saving psychosomatic centers offer targeted applications in the network of all actors in refugee care especially when combined with well-trained volunteers and language mediators, informed on the issue of trauma. © Georg Thieme Verlag KG Stuttgart · New York.

Using Volunteers to Help Expectant Mothers and Their Infants.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Landolt, Terry

1985-01-01

Describes new Appalachian Regional Commission model health care program linking expectant mothers/infants with volunteers familiar with available resources to provide prenatal medical care, assistance in modifying personal habits potentially harmful to unborn infants, nutritional supplements and advice, and social service assistance. Includes 1982…

How effective are volunteers at supporting people in their last year of life? A pragmatic randomised wait-list trial in palliative care (ELSA).

PubMed

Walshe, Catherine; Dodd, Steven; Hill, Matt; Ockenden, Nick; Payne, Sheila; Preston, Nancy; Perez Algorta, Guillermo

2016-12-09

Clinical care alone at the end of life is unlikely to meet all needs. Volunteers are a key resource, acceptable to patients, but there is no evidence on care outcomes. This study aimed to determine whether support from a social action volunteer service is better than usual care at improving quality of life for adults in the last year of life. A pragmatic, multi-centre wait-list controlled trial, with participants randomly allocated to receive the volunteer support intervention either immediately or after a 4 week wait. Trained volunteers provided tailored face-to-face support including befriending, practical support and signposting to services, primarily provided within the home, typically for 2-3 hours per week. The primary outcome was rate of change of quality of life at 4 weeks (WHO QOL BREF, a general, culturally sensitive measure). Secondary outcomes included rate of change of quality of life at 8 weeks and Loneliness (De Jong Gierveld Loneliness Scale), social support (mMOS-SS), and reported use of health and social care services at 4 and 8 weeks. In total, 196 adults (61% (n = 109) female; mean age 72 years) were included in the study. No significant difference was found in main or secondary outcomes at 4 weeks. Rate of change of quality of life showed trends in favour of the intervention (physical quality of life domain: b = 3.98, CI, -0.38 to 8.34; psychological domain: b = 2.59, CI, -2.24 to 7.43; environmental domain: b = 3, CI, -4.13 to 4.91). Adjusted analyses to control for hours of volunteer input found significantly less decrease in physical quality of life in the intervention group (slope (b) 4.43, CI, 0.10 to 8.76). While the intervention also favoured the rate of change of emotional (b = -0.08; CI, -0.52 to 0.35) and social loneliness (b = -0.20; CI, -0.58 to 0.18), social support (b = 0.13; CI, -0.13 to 0.39), and reported use of health and social care professionals (b = 0.16; CI, -0.22 to 0.55), these were

VolunteerGet--a novel information system for engaging society in volunteering for emergency care.

PubMed

Varadarajan, Vivek; Ganz, Aura

2008-01-01

This work presents VolunteerGet, a novel information system for engaging society in volunteering for emergency situations. We will use the social networking and location services infrastructure as a means of 1) registering volunteers and other users, 2) spreading the word on volunteering opportunities and increasing the volunteer database, 3) matching the users and volunteers at time and location of need. Such a system has the potential to promote volunteering as a social phenomenon and eventually reduce suffering and mortality.

Is there a (volunteer) doctor in the house? Free clinics and volunteer physician referral networks in the United States.

PubMed

Isaacs, Stephen L; Jellinek, Paul

2007-01-01

Although community health centers and public hospitals are the most visible safety-net providers, physicians in private practice are the main source of care for the uninsured and Medicaid enrollees. Yet the number of these physicians providing free care is declining, even as the need for their services increases. One promising strategy for halting the decline is to strengthen and increase volunteer health care programs: free clinics and physician-referral networks. This report reviews the state of these programs and suggests ways to improve them. Given the limits of volunteerism, the authors conclude that only national health insurance will solve the problem of the uninsured.

Reflections: Volunteering at Home.

PubMed

Hu, Amanda

2016-08-01

Many young people look forward to volunteering abroad and overlook the ample volunteer opportunities at home. There are several advantages to volunteering at home: you help people in your own community; you can make a long-term commitment; and you have continuity of care for your patients. There are >1200 free clinics in the United States whose main goal is to provide care to the indigent population. These free clinics are always looking for volunteers with specialized medical training. This article reviews the medically related and unrelated volunteer opportunities available in the United States. Volunteering at home is a worthwhile experience, and I encourage the otolaryngology community to explore these opportunities. © American Academy of Otolaryngology—Head and Neck Surgery Foundation 2016.

Providing primary health care with non-physicians.

PubMed

Chen, P C

1984-04-01

The definition of primary health care is basically the same, but the wide variety of concepts as to the form and type of worker required is largely due to variations in economic, demographic, socio-cultural and political factors. Whatever form it takes, in many parts of the developing world, it is increasingly clear that primary health care must be provided by non-physicians. The reasons for this trend are compelling, yet it is surprisingly opposed by the medical profession in many a developing country. Nonetheless, numerous field trials are being conducted in a variety of situations in several countries around the world. Non-physician primary health care workers vary from medical assistants and nurse practitioners to aide-level workers called village mobilizers, village volunteers, village aides and a variety of other names. The functions, limitations and training of such workers will need to be defined, so that an optimal combination of skills, knowledge and attitudes best suited to produce the desired effect on local health problems may be attained. The supervision of such workers by the physician and other health professionals will need to be developed in the spirit of the health team. An example of the use of non-physicians in providing primary health care in Sarawak is outlined.

Quality assurance in health care for the urban poor.

PubMed

Nieto, E P

1989-01-01

New initiatives to bring primary health care to the poor barangays (villages) of Manilla, the capital of the Philippines are described. Manilla had 7.7 million people in 1987, with 2 hospitals, and a health care systems based on the European model. The government per capita health expenditure was $1, while people spent 15% of their income on health care. A household survey showed that many were underserved, that respiratory and skin infections, malnutrition, gastroenteritis and intestinal parasites were common. The Manilla Health Department was reorganized into 4 major services. A new university hospital is planned. Mechanisms are being set up for private physicians to cooperate with public health agencies in 2-way referral. Barangay health Workers and Volunteers are being trained. Root causes of poor health are being attacked by providing public water, laundry and toilet facilities, drainage, skills training and feeding programs. The barangay network has promoted lay referral, child growth monitoring, immunization, collection of vital statistics and environmental sanitation.

Changes in blood pressure among users of lay health worker or volunteer operated community-based blood pressure programs over time: a systematic review protocol.

PubMed

Skar, Pål; Young, Lynne; Gordon, Carol

2015-10-01

reducing cardiovascular disease in specific hard-to-reach populations. Several systematic reviews have been conducted to assess different models for delivering services to people living with high blood pressure to assess community-based programs with a focus on cardiovascular disease, and to assess effectiveness of community health workers (CHW) in a variety of settings. These systematic reviews point to the importance of distinguishing between different categories of health care providers, their training and their roles in program delivery when assessing studies for possible inclusion in a systematic review.In a systematic review of studies from the US by Brownstein et al. focusing on the effectiveness of community health workers (CHWs) in the care of people with hypertension, this category of health care providers went under many different names. Community health workers in this review were defined as "any health workers who carried out functions related to health care deliver, were trained as part of an intervention, had no formal paraprofessional or professional designation, and had a relationship with the community being served". One of the findings from this review was the wide variety of formal training of the CHWs. In other parts of the world, a CHW might be defined differently. In their review of CHW-based programs focusing on children's health, Bhattacharyya, Winch, LeBan and Tien found that "in general CHWs are not paid salaries because the MOH (Ministry of Health) or donors do not consider salaries to be sustainable. Yet CHWs are often held accountable and supervised as if they were employees. Community health worker programs must recognize that CHWs are volunteers (emphasis in original), even if they receive small monetary or nonmonetary incentives. They are volunteering their time to serve the community". One Canadian model for delivering a cardiovascular awareness program designed to reach older adults through their primary care provider is based on

Embedding Volunteer Activity into Paramedic Education.

PubMed

Ross, Linda; Kabidi, Sophia

2017-01-01

Paramedics require a wide range of skills that are beyond clinical or technical skills in order to meet the demands of the role and provide quality and compassionate care to patients. Non-technical or "soft" skills and attributes are generally challenging to teach and develop in the classroom setting. Volunteerism provides an opportunity for students to gain exposure to different communities and develop interpersonal skills. This cross-sectional study used one-on-one interviews with 12 third-year Bachelor of Emergency Health (Paramedic) students from Monash University, Australia, who completed a community volunteering program. Results suggest that paramedic students see volunteering as a highly valuable means of developing a number of skills crucial to their future roles and paramedic practice. Volunteering also provided students with an opportunity to learn about themselves and the broader community, develop confidence, and improve overall job-readiness and employability. This study demonstrates that embedding volunteering into paramedic education is an effective way to develop the broad range of paramedic attributes required for the role. These experiences allow students to make the important transition to a job-ready graduate paramedic who can provide holistic patient-centred care.

Disinfection of reusable elastomeric respirators by health care workers: a feasibility study and development of standard operating procedures.

PubMed

Bessesen, Mary T; Adams, Jill C; Radonovich, Lewis; Anderson, Judith

2015-06-01

This was a feasibility study in a Department of Veterans Affairs Medical Center to develop a standard operating procedure (SOP) to be used by health care workers to disinfect reusable elastomeric respirators under pandemic conditions. Registered and licensed practical nurses, nurse practitioners, aides, clinical technicians, and physicians took part in the study. Health care worker volunteers were provided with manufacturers' cleaning and disinfection instructions and all necessary supplies. They were observed and filmed. SOPs were developed, based on these observations, and tested on naïve volunteer health care workers. Error rates using manufacturers' instructions and SOPs were compared. When using respirator manufacturers' cleaning and disinfection instructions, without specific training or supervision, all subjects made multiple errors. When using the SOPs developed in the study, without specific training or guidance, naïve health care workers disinfected respirators with zero errors. Reusable facial protective equipment may be disinfected by health care workers with minimal training using SOPs. Published by Elsevier Inc.

The role of prehealth student volunteers at a student-run free clinic in New York, United States.

PubMed

Shabbir, Syed H; Santos, Maria Teresa M

2015-01-01

The medical student-run Einstein Community Health Outreach Clinic provides free healthcare to the uninsured adult population of New York, the United States. During the summer, prehealth student volunteers are recruited to assist with clinic operations. We designed a survey study to identify the baseline characteristics of the volunteers between June and August of 2013 and 2014 in order to evaluate the influence of working in a medical student-run free clinic on their education, impressions, and career goals. A total of 38 volunteers (response rate, 83%) participated in the study. The volunteers were demographically diverse and interested in primary care specialties and community service. After the Einstein Community Health Outreach program, the volunteers showed an improved understanding of the healthcare process and issues relevant to uninsured patients. They also developed favorable attitudes towards primary care medicine and an increased level of interest in pursuing careers in primary care.

[Taking Care of Asylum Seekers: Occupational Health Aspects with a Special Focus on Vaccination].

PubMed

Kolb, S; Hörmansdorfer, S; Ackermann, N; Höller, C; Brenner, B; Herr, C

2016-04-01

Employees and volunteers often feel insecure about the potential transmission of infectious diseases when taking care of asylum seekers. It could be shown that overall only a minor risk of infection emanates from asylum seekers. However, aspects of occupational health and vaccination should be kept in mind.Besides the standard vaccination the Standing Committee on Vaccination (STIKO) recommends for occupational indication, which is given for employees and volunteers in asylum facilities, vaccination against hepatitis A, hepatitis B, polio (if the last vaccination was more than 10 years before) as well as influenza (seasonal).According to the German Occupational Safety and Health Act taking care of the employer has to determine which exposures might occur at the workplace (risk assessment) and define necessary protection measures. Depending on task and exposure when taking care of asylum seekers different acts (e. g. biological agents regulation) and technical guidelines for the handling biological agents (e. g. TRBA 250 or TRBA 500) have to be applied.The Bavarian Health and Food Safety Authority (LGL) has published several information sheets regarding "asylum seekers and health management" for employees and volunteers from the non-medical as well as the medical area (www.lgl.bayern.de search term "Asylbewerber"). With theses publications insecurities in taking care of asylum seekers should be prevented. Furthermore the employer gets support in the implementation of legal obligations to ensure occupational safety for the employees. © Georg Thieme Verlag KG Stuttgart · New York.

The female community health volunteer programme in Nepal: decision makers' perceptions of volunteerism, payment and other incentives.

PubMed

Glenton, Claire; Scheel, Inger B; Pradhan, Sabina; Lewin, Simon; Hodgins, Stephen; Shrestha, Vijaya

2010-06-01

The Female Community Health Volunteer (FCHV) Programme in Nepal has existed since the late 1980s and includes almost 50,000 volunteers. Although volunteer programmes are widely thought to be characterised by high attrition levels, the FCHV Programme loses fewer than 5% of its volunteers annually. The degree to which decision makers understand community health worker motivations and match these with appropriate incentives is likely to influence programme sustainability. The purpose of this study was to explore the views of stakeholders who have participated in the design and implementation of the Female Community Health Volunteer regarding Volunteer motivation and appropriate incentives, and to compare these views with the views and expectations of Volunteers. Semi-structured interviews were carried out in 2009 with 19 purposively selected non-Volunteer stakeholders, including policy makers and programme managers. Results were compared with data from previous studies of Female Community Health Volunteers and from interviews with four Volunteers and two Volunteer activists. Stakeholders saw Volunteers as motivated primarily by social respect, religious and moral duty. The freedom to deliver services at their leisure was seen as central to the volunteer concept. While stakeholders also saw the need for extrinsic incentives such as micro-credit, regular wages were regarded not only as financially unfeasible, but as a potential threat to the Volunteers' social respect, and thereby to their motivation. These views were reflected in interviews with and previous studies of Female Community Health Volunteers, and appear to be influenced by a tradition of volunteering as moral behaviour, a lack of respect for paid government workers, and the Programme's community embeddedness. Our study suggests that it may not be useful to promote a generic range of incentives, such as wages, to improve community health worker programme sustainability. Instead, programmes should ensure that

An analysis of contextual information relevant to medical care unexpectedly volunteered to researchers by asthma patients

PubMed Central

Black, Heather L.; Priolo, Chantel; Gonzalez, Rodalyn; Geer, Sabrina; Adam, Bariituu; Apter, Andrea J.

2012-01-01

Objective To describe and categorize contextual information relevant to patients’ medical care unexpectedly volunteered to research personnel as part of a patient advocate intervention to facilitate access health care, communication with medical personnel, and self-management of a chronic disease like asthma. Methods We adapted a patient navigator intervention, to overcome barriers to access and communication for adults with moderate or severe asthma. Informed by focus groups of patients and providers, our Patient Advocates facilitated preparation for a visit with an asthma provider, attended the visit, confirmed understanding, and assisted with post-visit activities. During meetings with researchers, either for PA activities or data collection, participants frequently volunteered personal and medical information relevant for achieving successful self-management that was not routinely shared with medical personnel. For this project, researchers journaled information not captured by the structured questionnaires and protocol. Using a qualitative analysis, we describe 1) researchers’ journals of these unique communications, 2) their relevance for accomplishing self-management, 3) Patient Advocates’ formal activities including teach-back, advocacy, and facilitating appointment-making, and 4) observations of patients’ interactions with the clinical practices. Results In 83 journals, patients’ social support (83%), health (68%), and deportment (69%) were described. Patient Advocate assistance with navigating the medical system (59%), teach-back (46%), and observed interactions with patient and medical staff (76%) were also journaled. Implicit were ways patients and practices could overcome barriers to access and communication. Conclusions These journals describe the importance of seeking contextual and medically relevant information from all patients and especially those with significant morbidities, prompting patients for barriers to accessing care, and

Food insecurity and mental health: surprising trends among community health volunteers in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia during the 2008 food crisis.

PubMed

Maes, Kenneth C; Hadley, Craig; Tesfaye, Fikru; Shifferaw, Selamawit

2010-05-01

The 2008 food crisis may have increased household food insecurity and caused distress among impoverished populations in low-income countries. Policy researchers have attempted to quantify the impact that a sharp rise in food prices might have on population wellbeing by asking what proportion of households would drop below conventional poverty lines given a set increase in prices. Our understanding of the impact of food crises can be extended by conducting micro-level ethnographic studies. This study examined self-reported household food insecurity (FI) and common mental disorders (CMD) among 110 community health AIDS care volunteers living in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia during the height of the 2008 food crisis. We used generalized estimating equations that account for associations between responses given by the same participants over 3 survey rounds during 2008, to model the longitudinal response profiles of FI, CMD symptoms, and socio-behavioral and micro-economic covariates. To help explain the patterns observed in the response profiles and regression results, we examine qualitative data that contextualize the cognition and reporting behavior of AIDS care volunteers, as well as potential observation biases inherent in longitudinal, community-based research. Our data show that food insecurity is highly prevalent, that is it associated with household economic factors, and that it is linked to mental health. Surprisingly, the volunteers in this urban sample did not report increasingly severe FI or CMD during the peak of the 2008 food crisis. This is a counter-intuitive result that would not be predicted in analyses of population-level data such as those used in econometrics simulations. But when these results are linked to real people in specific urban ecologies, they can improve our understanding of the psychosocial consequences of food price shocks. Copyright 2010 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Formal volunteering as a protector of health in the context of social losses.

PubMed

Jang, Heejung; Tang, Fengyan; Gonzales, Ernest; Lee, Yung Soo; Morrow-Howell, Nancy

2018-05-29

This study aims to examine the effect of the death of a family member or friend on psychological well-being, specifically the moderating effects of first-time volunteering and social network. With the sample of 354 volunteers from the Experience Corps® (EC) programs, Analysis of covariance (ANCOVA) estimated the differences in psychological well-being. Among volunteers who had experienced the death of a family member or friend, new volunteers showed significant improvement in positive affect compared to experienced volunteers. EC members gained additional social contacts through volunteering. Formal volunteering has a salutatory effect on older adults' health after the loss of family members.

Medical students as hospice volunteers: reflections on an early experiential training program in end-of-life care education.

PubMed

Mott, Melissa L; Gorawara-Bhat, Rita; Marschke, Michael; Levine, Stacie

2014-06-01

Despite an increase in the content of palliative medicine curricula in medical schools, students are rarely exposed to end-of-life (EOL) care through real-patient experiences during their preclinical education. To evaluate the utility and impact of exposure to EOL care for first year medical students (MS-1s) through a hospice volunteer experience. Patients and Families First (PFF), a hospice volunteer training program in EOL care, was piloted on three cohorts of MS-1s as an elective. Fifty-five students received 3 hours of volunteer training, and were then required to conduct at least two consecutive hospice visits on assigned patients to obtain course credit. Students' reflective essays on their experiences were analyzed using qualitative methodology and salient themes were extracted by two investigators independently and then collaboratively. The following five themes were identified from students' reflective essays: perceptions regarding hospice patients; reactions regarding self; normalcy of EOL care at home; impact of witnessing death and dying; and suggestions for improving EOL care education for medical students. Hospice volunteering during preclinical years may provide valuable experiential training for MS-1s in caring for seriously ill patients and their families by fostering personal reflection and empathic skills, thereby providing a foundation for future patient encounters during clinical training.

Doing well by doing good. The relationship between formal volunteering and self-reported health and happiness.

PubMed

Borgonovi, Francesca

2008-06-01

In this paper, we examine whether engaging in voluntary work leads to greater well-being, as measured by self-reported health and happiness. Drawing on data from the USA, our estimates suggest that people who volunteer report better health and greater happiness than people who do not, a relationship that is not driven by socio-economic differences between volunteers and non-volunteers. We concentrate on voluntary labor for religious groups and organizations and using second stage least square regressions we find that religious volunteering has a positive, causal influence on self-reported happiness but not on self-reported health. We explore reasons that could account for the observed causal effect of volunteering on happiness. Findings indicate that low relative socio-economic status is associated with poor health both among those who volunteer and those who do not. Low status, however, is associated with unhappy states only among those who do not volunteer, while volunteers are equally likely to be happy whether they have high or low status. We propose that volunteering might contribute to happiness levels by increasing empathic emotions, shifting aspirations and by moving the salient reference group in subjective evaluations of relative positions from the relatively better-off to the relatively worse-off.

What motivates people to volunteer? the case of volunteer AIDS caregivers in faith-based organizations in KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa.

PubMed

Akintola, Olagoke

2011-01-01

Volunteers are increasingly being relied upon to provide home-based care for people living with AIDS in South Africa and this presents several unique challenges specific to the HIV/AIDS context in Africa. Yet it is not clear what motivates people to volunteer as home-based caregivers. Drawing on the functional theory on volunteer motivations, this study uses data from qualitative interviews with 57 volunteer caregivers of people living with HIV/AIDS in six semi-rural South African communities to explore volunteer motivations. Findings revealed complex motivations underlying volunteering in AIDS care. Consistent with functional theorizing, most of the volunteers reported having more than one motive for enrolling as volunteers. Of the 11 categories of motivations identified, those relating to altruistic concerns for others and community, employment or career benefits and a desire by the unemployed to avoid idleness were the most frequently mentioned. Volunteers also saw volunteering as an opportunity to learn caring skills or to put their own skills to good use, for personal growth and to attract good things to themselves. A few of the volunteers were heeding a religious call, hoping to gain community recognition, dealing with a devastating experience of AIDS in the family or motivated for social reasons. Care organizations' poor understanding of volunteer motives, a mismatch between organizational goals and volunteer motivations, and inadequate funding meant that volunteers' most pressing motives were not satisfied. This led to discontentment, resentment and attrition among volunteers. The findings have implications for home-based care policies and programmes, suggesting the need to rethink current models using non-stipended volunteers in informal AIDS care. Information about volunteer motivations could help organizations plan recruitment messages, recruit volunteers whose motives match organizational goals and plan how to assist volunteers to satisfy these motives

Managing Volunteers.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Geber, Beverly

1991-01-01

Discusses changing nature of volunteers in Peter Drucker's book "Managing the Nonprofit Corporation." Points out that most volunteers have full-time jobs, families, very little leisure; they are not willing to do such routine work as stuffing envelopes; they want carefully defined projects with beginning and end. Discusses real…

Assessing change in health professions volunteers' perceptions after participating in Special Olympics healthy athlete events.

PubMed

Freudenthal, Jacqueline J; Boyd, Linda D; Tivis, Rick

2010-09-01

This study assessed perceptions of health professions student and faculty volunteers who participated with athletes at the 2009 Special Olympics World Winter Games in Healthy Athlete venues. The volunteers' perceptions and expectations of the abilities of intellectually disabled athletes were measured by administering pre-event and post-event questionnaires consisting of demographic questions and the Prognostic Belief Scale (PBS). Invitations to participate in the study were sent to 165 students and faculty members; of those, eighty (48.5 percent response rate) responded to the pre-event questionnaire, and sixty-seven (40.6 percent response rate) responded to the post-event questionnaire. Of the eighty respondents to the pre-event questionnaire, fifty-five (68.7 percent) also completed the post-event questionnaire. The ANOVA comparing pre- and post-event PBS scores between groups found a trend towards higher scores among the volunteers, but analysis did not demonstrate a significant effect in either group (p=.68) or the interaction of group by time (p=.46). Despite the findings from the PBS, participants' statements suggest the experience had an impact on their perceptions and expectations. Although not statistically significant, this study found a positive trend pre- to post-event in the volunteers' perceptions of the abilities of athletes with intellectual disabilities. In addition to didactic and clinical education, volunteer experiences may enhance care providers' knowledge, skill, and confidence levels for treating clients with intellectual disabilities.

Holistic Health Care for the Medically Uninsured: The Church Health Center of Memphis.

PubMed

Morris, G Scott

2015-11-05

The Church Health Center (CHC) in Memphis was founded in 1987 to provide quality, affordable health care for working, uninsured people and their families. With numerous, dedicated financial supporters and health care volunteers, CHC has become the largest faith-based health care organization of its type nationally, serving >61,000 patients. CHC embraces a holistic approach to health by promoting wellness in every dimension of life. It offers on-site services including medical care, dentistry, optometry, counseling, social work, and nutrition and fitness education, to promote wellness in every dimension of life. A 2012 economic analysis estimated that a $1 contribution to the CHC provided roughly $8 in health services. The CHC has trained >1200 Congregational Health Promoters to be health leaders and is conducting research on the effectiveness of faith community nurses partnering with congregations to assist in home care for patients recently discharged from Memphis hospitals. The MEMPHIS Plan, CHC's employer-sponsored health care plan for small business and the self-employed, offers uninsured people in lower-wage jobs access to quality, affordable health care. The CHC also conducts replications workshops several times a year to share their model with leaders in other communities. The Institute for Healthcare Improvement (IHI) recently completed a case study that concluded: "The CHC is one of a very few organizations successfully embodying all three components of the IHI Triple Aim by improving population health outcomes, enhancing the individual's health care experience, and controlling costs. All three have been part of the Center's DNA since its inception, and as a transforming force in the community, the model is well worth national attention."

[Development and evaluation of the reliability and validity of an empowerment scale for health promotion volunteers].

PubMed

Koyama, Utako; Murayama, Nobuko

2011-08-01

This qualitative and quantitative research was conducted to develop an empowerment scale for health promotion volunteers (hereinafter referred to as the ESFHPV), key persons responsible for creating healthy communities. A focus group interview was conducted with four groups of health promotion volunteers from two cities in S Public Health Center of N Prefecture. A qualitative analysis was employed and a 32-item draft scale was created. The reliability and validity of this scale were then evaluated using quantitative methods. A questionnaire survey was conducted in 2009 for all 660 health promotion volunteers across the 2 cities. Of 401 respondents (response rate, 60.8%), 356 (53.9%) provided valid responses and were thus included in the analysis. 1) Internal consistency was confirmed by item-total correlation analysis (I-T analysis), assessment of Cronbach's coefficient alpha for all except one item and good-poor analysis (G-P analysis). Four items were excluded from the 32-item draft scale because of correlation coefficients more than 0.7, leaving 28 items for analysis. 2) Based on the results obtained from the factor analysis performed on the 28 provisional empowerment questions, 28 items were chosen for inclusion in the ESFHPV. These items consisted of four sub-scales, namely 'activity for healthy community' (10 items), 'intention for solving health problems of the community' (10 items), 'democratic organization activity' (four items) and 'growth as individual health promotion volunteers' (four items). 3) The Cronbach's coefficient alpha for the ESFHPV and its four sub-scales were 0.93, 0.88, 0.89, 0.84 and 0.79 respectively. The coefficients of I-T analysis were between 0.33 and 0.69. 4) The health promotion volunteers who attended other community activities demonstrated significantly high scores for the ESFHPV and the four sub-scales. Persons who were above 60 years, had a longer duration of activity as a health promotion volunteer and were housewives showed

Reducing child global undernutrition at scale in Sofala Province, Mozambique, using Care Group Volunteers to communicate health messages to mothers.

PubMed

Davis, Thomas P; Wetzel, Carolyn; Hernandez Avilan, Emma; de Mendoza Lopes, Cecilia; Chase, Rachel P; Winch, Peter J; Perry, Henry B

2013-03-01

Undernutrition contributes to one-third of under-5 child mortality globally. Progress in achieving the Millennium Development Goal of reducing under-5 mortality is lagging in many countries, particularly in Africa. This paper shares evidence and insights from a low-cost behavior-change innovation in a rural area of Mozambique. About 50,000 households with pregnant women or children under 2 years old were organized into blocks of 12 households. One volunteer peer educator (Care Group Volunteer, or CGV) was selected for each block. Approximately 12 CGVs met together as a group every 2 weeks with a paid project promoter to learn a new child-survival health or nutrition message or skill. Then the CGVs shared the new message with mothers in their assigned blocks. Household surveys were conducted at baseline and endline to measure nutrition-related behaviors and childhood nutritional status. More than 90% of beneficiary mothers reported that they had been contacted by CGVs during the previous 2 weeks. In the early implementation project area, the percentage of children 0-23 months old with global undernutrition (weight-for-age with z-score of less than 2 standard deviations below the international standard mean) declined by 8.1 percentage points (P<0.001), from 25.9% (95% confidence interval [CI] = 22.2%-29.6%) at baseline to 17.8% at endline (95% CI = 14.6%-20.9%). In the delayed implementation area, global undernutrition declined by 11.5 percentage points (P<0.001), from 27.1% (95% CI = 23.6%-30.6%) to 15.6% (95% CI = 12.6%-18.6%). Total project costs were US$3.0 million, representing an average cost of US$0.55 per capita per year (among the entire population of 1.1 million people) and US$2.78 per beneficiary (mothers with young children) per year. Using the Care Group model can improve the level of global undernutrition in children at scale and at low cost. This model shows sufficient promise to merit further rigorous testing and broader application.

Perceptions of rewards among volunteer caregivers of people living with AIDS working in faith-based organizations in South Africa: a qualitative study.

PubMed

Akintola, Olagoke

2010-06-14

Volunteer caregivers are a critical source of support for the majority of people living with HIV and AIDS in southern Africa, which has extremely high HIV/AIDS prevalence rates. While studies have shown that volunteer caregiving is associated with negative health and socio-economic outcomes, little is known about the positive experiences of volunteers in the home-based care context in South Africa. The purpose of this study is to explore the perception of rewards among volunteers working in home-based care settings. This study uses a qualitative design. Qualitative interviews were conducted with a purposively selected sample of 55 volunteer caregivers using an interview schedule containing open-ended questions. Volunteer caregivers derived intrinsic rewards related to self-growth and personal (emotional and psychological) development on the job; they also derived satisfaction from community members taking a liking for them and expressing a need for their services. Volunteers felt gratified by the improvements in their health behaviours, which were a direct consequence of the experiences of caring for terminally ill patients with AIDS. Extrinsic rewards came from appreciation and recognition shown by patients and community members. Extrinsic rewards also accrued to volunteers when the services they rendered made their patients happy. Perhaps the greatest sources of extrinsic rewards are skills and competencies acquired from training and experience while caring for their patients, and volunteers' ability to make a difference in the community. Insights into volunteer caregiver rewards provide opportunities for policy makers and programme managers to develop a model of home-based care that facilitates the accrual of rewards to volunteers alongside volunteers' traditional duties of patient care. Programme managers could employ these insights in recruiting and assisting volunteers to identify and reflect on rewards in the caregiving situation as a means of reducing the

Perceptions of rewards among volunteer caregivers of people living with AIDS working in faith-based organizations in South Africa: a qualitative study

PubMed Central

2010-01-01

Background Volunteer caregivers are a critical source of support for the majority of people living with HIV and AIDS in southern Africa, which has extremely high HIV/AIDS prevalence rates. While studies have shown that volunteer caregiving is associated with negative health and socio-economic outcomes, little is known about the positive experiences of volunteers in the home-based care context in South Africa. The purpose of this study is to explore the perception of rewards among volunteers working in home-based care settings. Methods This study uses a qualitative design. Qualitative interviews were conducted with a purposively selected sample of 55 volunteer caregivers using an interview schedule containing open-ended questions. Results Volunteer caregivers derived intrinsic rewards related to self-growth and personal (emotional and psychological) development on the job; they also derived satisfaction from community members taking a liking for them and expressing a need for their services. Volunteers felt gratified by the improvements in their health behaviours, which were a direct consequence of the experiences of caring for terminally ill patients with AIDS. Extrinsic rewards came from appreciation and recognition shown by patients and community members. Extrinsic rewards also accrued to volunteers when the services they rendered made their patients happy. Perhaps the greatest sources of extrinsic rewards are skills and competencies acquired from training and experience while caring for their patients, and volunteers' ability to make a difference in the community. Conclusions Insights into volunteer caregiver rewards provide opportunities for policy makers and programme managers to develop a model of home-based care that facilitates the accrual of rewards to volunteers alongside volunteers' traditional duties of patient care. Programme managers could employ these insights in recruiting and assisting volunteers to identify and reflect on rewards in the caregiving

Understanding the role of the volunteer in specialist palliative care: a systematic review and thematic synthesis of qualitative studies

PubMed Central

2014-01-01

Background Volunteers make a major contribution to palliative patient care, and qualitative studies have been undertaken to explore their involvement. With the aim of making connections between existing studies to derive enhanced meanings, we undertook a systematic review of these qualitative studies including synthesising the findings. We sought to uncover how the role of volunteers with direct contact with patients in specialist palliative care is understood by volunteers, patients, their families, and staff. Methods We searched for relevant literature that explored the role of the volunteer including electronic citation databases and reference lists of included studies, and also undertook handsearches of selected journals to find studies which met inclusion criteria. We quality appraised included studies, and synthesised study findings using a novel synthesis method, thematic synthesis. Results We found 12 relevant studies undertaken in both inpatient and home-care settings, with volunteers, volunteer coordinators, patients and families. Studies explored the role of general volunteers as opposed to those offering any professional skills. Three theme clusters were found: the distinctness of the volunteer role, the characteristics of the role, and the volunteer experience of the role. The first answers the question, is there a separate volunteer role? We found that to some extent the role was distinctive. The volunteer may act as a mediator between the patient and the staff. However, we also found some contradictions. Volunteers may take on temporary surrogate family-type relationship roles. They may also take on some of the characteristics of a paid professional. The second cluster helps to describe the essence of the role. Here, we found that the dominant feature was that the role is social in nature. The third helps to explain aspects of the role from the point of view of volunteers themselves. It highlighted that the role is seen by volunteers as flexible

Enhancing the capacity and effectiveness of community health volunteers to improve maternal, newborn and child health: Experience from Kenya.

PubMed

Avery, Lisa S; Du Plessis, Elsabé; Shaw, Souradet Y; Sankaran, Deepa; Njoroge, Peter; Kayima, Ruth; Makau, Naomi; Munga, James; Kadzo, Maureen; Blanchard, James; Crockett, Maryanne

2017-11-09

To determine whether a simple monitoring and tracking tool, Mwanzo Mwema Monitoring and Tracking Tool (MMATT), would enable community health volunteers (CHVs) in Kenya to 1) plan their workloads and activities, 2) identify the women, newborns and children most in need of accessing critical maternal, newborn and child health (MNCH) interventions and 3) improve key MNCH indicators. A mixed methods approach was used. Household surveys at baseline (n = 912) and endline (n = 1143) collected data on key MNCH indicators in the four subcounties of Taita Taveta County, Kenya. Eight focus group discussions were held with 40 CHVs to ascertain their perspectives on using the tool. Qualitative findings revealed that the CHVs found the MMATT to be useful in planning their activities and prioritizing beneficiaries requiring more support to access MNCH services. They also identified potential barriers to care at both the community and health system levels. At endline, previously pregnant women were more likely to have received four or more antenatal care visits, facility delivery, postnatal care within two weeks of delivery and a complete package of care than baseline respondents. Among women with children under 24 months, those at endline were more likely to report early breastfeeding and exclusive breastfeeding for the first six months. These results remained after adjustment for age, subcounty, gravida, mother's education and asset index. Our results demonstrate that simple tools enable CHVs to identify disparities in service delivery and health outcomes, and to identify barriers to MNCH care. Tools that enhance CHVs' ability to plan and prioritize the women and children most in need increase CHVs' potential impact.

Texas certified volunteer Long-Term Care Ombudsmen: perspectives of role and effectiveness.

PubMed

Ostwald, Sharon K; Runge, Anke; Lees, Emily J; Patterson, Gina D

2003-01-01

Under the federally mandated Long-Term Care Ombudsman Program (LTCOP), certified volunteer ombudsmen (CVO) advocate for the welfare and rights of residents in nursing facilities. In Texas, the Department on Aging contracts with 28 agencies to deliver the LTCOP in respective regions. Regional ombudsman staff in charge of a group of CVOs administers each local program. The volunteer ombudsman role is threefold: advocate, mediator, and friendly visitor. This descriptive study used a 75-item mail survey designed to gain a better understanding of CVOs' perspectives of their role and effectiveness. A total of 361 active, certified volunteers participated, representing all of the 28 regional Texas ombudsman programs. A series of focus groups was used to amplify survey data. Findings indicate overall role satisfaction, although perception of satisfaction varied with volunteers' age, length of service, level of education, and work experience. Volunteers felt most effective in promoting residents' rights and welfare, and least effective in dealing with financial exploitation, nutrition, and hydration issues. Although not always able to achieve desired changes, most volunteers believed that the ombudsman presence was a positive force. A need for improved understanding and support of the ombudsman role among facility staff and regulatory agents was exposed. CVOs' potentially favorable impact on the institutional setting in general, and facility personnel in particular, is dependent on the support from state personnel and regional ombudsman staff as well as the willingness of nursing facility staff to cooperate. Volunteers' sense of performance effectiveness is essential to the success of the LTCOP. Specific recommendations based on study findings are intended to assist in assuring continuous program quality improvement purposed to ensure residents' quality of life.

Social support, volunteering and health around the world: cross-national evidence from 139 countries.

PubMed

Kumar, Santosh; Calvo, Rocio; Avendano, Mauricio; Sivaramakrishnan, Kavita; Berkman, Lisa F

2012-03-01

High levels of social capital and social integration are associated with self-rated health in many developed countries. However, it is not known whether this association extends to non-western and less economically advanced countries. We examine associations between social support, volunteering, and self-rated health in 139 low-, middle- and high-income countries. Data come from the Gallup World Poll, an internationally comparable survey conducted yearly from 2005 to 2009 for those 15 and over. Volunteering was measured by self-reports of volunteering to an organization in the past month. Social support was based on self-reports of access to support from relatives and friends. We started by estimating random coefficient (multi-level) models and then used multivariate logistic regression to model health as a function of social support and volunteering, controlling for age, gender, education, marital status, and religiosity. We found statistically significant evidence of cross-national variation in the association between social capital variables and self-rated health. In the multivariate logistic model, self-rated health were significantly associated with having social support from friends and relatives and volunteering. Results from stratified analyses indicate that these associations are strikingly consistent across countries. Our results indicate that the link between social capital and health is not restricted to high-income countries but extends across many geographical regions regardless of their national-income level. Copyright © 2012 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Decentralizing provision of mental health care in Sri Lanka.

PubMed

Fernando, Neil; Suveendran, Thirupathy; de Silva, Chithramalee

2017-04-01

In the past, mental health services in Sri Lanka were limited to tertiary-care institutions, resulting in a large treatment gap. Starting in 2000, significant efforts have been made to reconfigure service provision and to integrate mental health services with primary health care. This approach was supported by significant political commitment to establishing island-wide decentralized mental health care in the wake of the 2004 tsunami. Various initiatives were consolidated in The mental health policy of Sri Lanka 2005-2015, which called for implementation of a comprehensive community-based, decentralized service structure. The main objectives of the policy were to provide mental health services of good quality at primary, secondary and tertiary levels; to ensure the active involvement of communities, families and service users; to make mental health services culturally appropriate and evidence based; and to protect the human rights and dignity of all people with mental health disorders. Significant improvements have been made and new cadres of mental health workers have been introduced. Trained medical officers (mental health) now provide outpatient care, domiciliary care, mental health promotion in schools, and community mental health education. Community psychiatric nurses have also been trained and deployed to supervise treatment adherence in the home and provide mental health education to patients, their family members and the wider community. A total of 4367 mental health volunteers are supporting care and raising mental health literacy in the community. Despite these important achievements, more improvements are needed to provide more timely intervention, combat myths and stigma, and further decentralize care provision. These, and other challenges, will be targeted in the new mental health policy for 2017-2026.

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.

PubMed

Candy, Bridget; France, Rachel; Low, Joe; Sampson, Liz

2015-03-01

Despite the extent of volunteers' contribution to palliative care, and their role in direct patient care, there has been no systematic evaluation of the evidence-base on volunteers in relation to patient and family wellbeing. To critically review research, on the impact of volunteers involved in the direct care of palliative patients and their families. We searched for studies, reporting patient and family data on the impact of volunteer services in palliative care in thirteen citation databases up to May 2013. We included quantitative comparative studies. We also noted any non-comparative studies, enabling us to give a comprehensive review of the existing research. We also included qualitative studies that explored the experiences of patients and families who received volunteer support, potentially illustrating which aspects of volunteer activities patients and families value. We applied quality appraisal criteria to all studies meeting inclusion criteria. Two researchers undertook key review processes. We found eight studies. Only two studies were undertaken outside of North America; one in the Netherlands and the other in Uganda. All studies were in adult palliative care services. All evaluated volunteers were in home care settings, three of the studies included other settings such as hospitals and nursing homes. All of the studies fulfilled our quality appraisal criteria. Six of them were quantitative studies and two were comparative: one found that those families who experienced greater (as opposed to lesser) volunteer involvement were significantly more satisfied with care; the other found that patients survived significantly longer if they had received home visits from a volunteer. Four cross-sectional studies focused on satisfaction ratings. No study considered possible disadvantages or adverse effects of volunteer involvement. Two qualitative studies were identified; both highlighted the uniqueness of the role volunteers may fulfil in care support, from

Religion, spirituality and health care treatment decisions: the role of chaplains in the Australian clinical context.

PubMed

Carey, Lindsay B; Cohen, Jeffrey

2008-01-01

This paper summarizes the views of Australian health care chaplains concerning their role and involvement in patient/family health care treatment decisions. In general terms the findings indicated that the majority of chaplains surveyed believed that it was part of their pastoral role to help patients and their families make decisions about their health care treatment. Differences in involvement of volunteer and staff chaplains, Catholic and Protestant, male and female chaplains are noted, as are the perspectives of chaplaincy informants regarding their role in relation to health care treatment decisions. Some implications of this study with respect to quality patient centered care, chaplaincy utility, and training are noted.

How can I help you? A study of the perceived importance of different kinds of hospice palliative care volunteer support.

PubMed

Claxton-Oldfield, Stephen; Gosselin, Natasha

2011-06-01

A total of 143 adults were asked to imagine that they had recently been diagnosed with a life-threatening illness. After reading about the roles of hospice palliative care volunteers, participants were asked whether they would use the services of a volunteer to help them and their loved ones get through this difficult time. The vast majority (94.4%) of the participants said they would choose to have a volunteer. These participants were then asked to rate the importance of 23 different supportive tasks that volunteers can perform. These tasks reflected the different kinds of support--emotional, social, practical, informational, and religious/spiritual--that hospice palliative care volunteers typically provide. Overall, the practical support category (eg, ''Having the volunteer run errands for me'') received the highest mean importance rating. Significant gender differences were found for the categories of emotional support (eg, ''Having the volunteer hold my hand'') and social support (eg, ''Having the volunteer share hobbies and interests with me''), with females rating both of these kinds of support as being more important to them than males did. The findings of this study may have practical implications for volunteer program coordinators.

'End of life could be on any ward really': A qualitative study of hospital volunteers' end-of-life care training needs and learning preferences.

PubMed

Brighton, Lisa Jane; Koffman, Jonathan; Robinson, Vicky; Khan, Shaheen A; George, Rob; Burman, Rachel; Selman, Lucy Ellen

2017-10-01

Over half of all deaths in Europe occur in hospital, a location associated with many complaints. Initiatives to improve inpatient end-of-life care are therefore a priority. In England, over 78,000 volunteers provide a potentially cost-effective resource to hospitals. Many work with people who are dying and their families, yet little is known about their training in end-of-life care. To explore hospital volunteers' end-of-life care training needs and learning preferences, and the acceptability of training evaluation methods. Qualitative focus groups. Volunteers from a large teaching hospital were purposively sampled. Five focus groups were conducted with 25 hospital volunteers (aged 19-80 years). Four themes emerged as follows: preparation for the volunteering role, training needs, training preferences and evaluation preferences. Many described encounters with patients with life-threatening illness and their families. Perceived training needs in end-of-life care included communication skills, grief and bereavement, spiritual diversity, common symptoms, and self-care. Volunteers valued learning from peers and end-of-life care specialists using interactive teaching methods including real-case examples and role plays. A chance to 'refresh' training at a later date was suggested to enhance learning. Evaluation through self-reports or observations were acceptable, but ratings by patients, families and staff were thought to be pragmatically unsuitable owing to sporadic contact with each. Gaps in end-of-life care training for hospital volunteers indicate scope to maximise on this resource. This evidence will inform development of training and evaluations which could better enable volunteers to make positive, cost-effective contributions to end-of-life care in hospitals.

Smart Use of Volunteers

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Vissing, Yvonne

2008-01-01

Volunteers pose a special area of concern for child care centers. On one hand, they are indispensable as they donate countless hours of time, energy, and resources. On the other hand, there are challenges to coordinating the efforts of volunteering parents. The use of volunteers has incredible potential for benefit from the center, child, and…

Primary school teacher as a primary health care worker.

PubMed

Nayar, S; Singh, D; Rao, N P; Choudhury, D R

1990-01-01

School children (1608) were examined for three items (nails, scalp hairs and teeth) relating to personal hygiene and relevant infective conditions from two sets of villages i.e. one set where primary school teacher was working as primary health care worker (Group I) and the other set where Community Health Volunteer (CHV) was delivering primary health care (Group II). The objective was to evaluate the efficiency of school teachers' role vis-a-vis CHVs' in imparting health education to school children. Out of 1608 school children, 801 belonged to Group I villages and the remaining 807 to Group II villages. From the results, it was evident that children of Group I villages were better with respect to all the items related to personal hygiene and infective conditions excepting scalp infections, where difference was not statistically significant, indicating teachers' superiority over the CHVs' in imparting health education to school children.

Prevalence of latex hypersensitivity among health care workers in Malaysia.

PubMed

Shahnaz, M; Azizah, M R; Hasma, H; Mok, K L; Yip, E; Ganesapillai, T; Suraiya, H; Nasuruddin, B A

1999-03-01

Health care workers have been reported to constitute one of the few high-risk groups related to IgE-mediated hypersensitivity associated with the use of latex products. This paper describes the first ever study of prevalence carried out in Malaysia among these workers. One hundred and thirty health care personnel from Hospital Kuala Lumpur were skin tested. Extracts used were prepared from seven different brands of natural rubber latex gloves with varying levels of extractable protein (EPRRIM). Out of the 130 volunteers, 4 (3.1%) had positive skin test to latex with extracts with high levels of EPRRIM (> 0.7 mg/g). The prevalence among the Malaysian health care workers can be considered to be low in comparison to that of some consumer countries as the USA which reported a prevalence of as high as 16.9%.

Training meals on wheels volunteers as health literacy coaches for older adults.

PubMed

Rubin, Donald L; Freimuth, Vicki S; Johnson, Sharon D; Kaley, Terry; Parmer, John

2014-05-01

Homebound older adults constitute a "hardly reached" population with respect to health communication. Older adults also typically suffer from health literacy challenges, which put them at increased risk of adverse health outcomes. Suboptimal interactions with providers are one such challenge. Interventions to improve interactive health literacy focus on training consumers/patients in question preparation and asking. Meals on Wheels volunteers are uniquely suited to coach their clients in such interaction strategies. Seventy-three Meals on Wheels volunteers participated in workshops to train as health literacy coaches. The 3- to 4-hour workshops included units on communicating with older adults, on the nature of health literacy, and on the process of interactive health literacy coaching. Participants viewed and discussed videos that modeled the targeted communication behaviors for older adult patients interacting with physicians. They role-played the coaching process. After 9 months, coaches participated in a "booster" session that included videos of ideal coaching practices. Evaluation questionnaires revealed that participants had favorable reactions to the workshops with respect to utility and interest. They especially appreciated learning communication skills and seeing realistic videos. A measure of knowledge about the workshop material revealed a significant increment at posttest. Fidelity of coaching practices with respect to workshop curriculum was confirmed. This training in interactive health literacy for community-based lay volunteers constitutes one way to implement the National Action Plan to Improve Health Literacy for one "hardly reached" population. An online tool kit containing all workshop materials is available.

A new role for Women Health Volunteers in urban Islamic Republic of Iran.

PubMed

Behdjat, H; Rifkin, S B; Tarin, E; Sheikh, M R

2009-01-01

An action research project was carried out by a team from the National Public Health Management Centre in Tabriz, Iran to test the following hypothesis: Health Volunteers are more able to support health improvements by focusing on community participation and empowerment through facilitating communities to define and solve their own problems than by only providing information on health problems. Training on participatory approaches was given to Women Health Volunteers (WHV) in a pilot area. The results gave evidence that local people could identify and act upon their own health needs and request more information from professionals to improve their own health. Further research is needed however to assess how the pilot can be scaled up and how initial enthusiasm can be sustained.

Dementia buddying as a vehicle for person-centred care? The performance of a volunteer-led pilot on two hospital wards.

PubMed

Preston, Claire; Burch, Sarah

2018-01-01

Objectives To understand and explain whether a dementia buddies pilot introduced into two adjacent mental health hospital wards in England was achieving its aim of enhancing person-centred care. Methods The research used a cultural lens to evaluate the dementia buddies pilot. It comprised 20 in-depth semi-structured interviews with staff, volunteers and carers in the two wards where the pilot was introduced. Results The pilot's ability to deliver positive outcomes depended on its compatibility with the culture of the ward and it performed better in the ward where a person-centred culture of care already existed. In this ward, the pilot became a catalyst for improved experience among patients, carers and staff, whereas in the second ward, the pilot faced resistance from staff and achieved less. Conclusions This finding underlines the benefit of focusing on workplace culture to understand the performance of volunteer-led initiatives. It also shows that existing ward culture is a determining factor in the capacity for dementia buddy schemes to act as vehicles for culture change.

Volunteers and the Care of the Terminal Patient.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Chng, Chwee Lye; Ramsey, Michael Kirby

1985-01-01

Examines the different roles of the volunteer: companion/friend, advocate, and educator. Draws a profile of the volunteer, lists qualifications and personal characteristics, offers suggestions on where to work, and discusses special training programs to prepare volunteers for work with the dying. (JAC)

Performance of female volunteer community health workers in Dhaka urban slums.

PubMed

Alam, Khurshid; Tasneem, Sakiba; Oliveras, Elizabeth

2012-08-01

Volunteer community health workers (CHWs) are one approach to addressing the health workforce crisis in developing countries. BRAC, a large Bangladeshi NGO, a pioneer in this area, uses female volunteer CHWs as core workers in its health programs. After 25 years of implementing the CHW model in rural areas, BRAC has begun using female CHWs in urban slums through its community-based mother, newborn and child health interventions. However, the program experienced suboptimal performance among CHWs, with a high percentage of them remaining in their positions but becoming "inactive", not truly participating in daily community health activities. This suggests a need to better understand the relative importance of factors affecting their active participation and to recommend strategies for improving their participation. This mixed-method study included a descriptive correlational design to assess factors relating to level of activity of CHWs and focus group discussions to explore solutions to these problems. A sample of 542 current female CHWs from project areas participated in the survey. Financial incentives were the main factor linked to the activity of CHWs. CHWs who thought that running their families would be difficult without CHW income had more than three times greater odds to become active. In addition, social prestige and positive community feedback to the CHWs were important non-financial factors associated with level of activity. In order to improve volunteer CHWs' performance, a combination of financial and non-financial incentives should be used. Copyright © 2012 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Reasons for starting and continuing to volunteer for hospice.

PubMed

Planalp, Sally; Trost, Melanie

2009-01-01

The purpose of this study was to find out from hospice volunteers how they first heard of opportunities to volunteer, what motivated them to volunteer when they first began, and why they continue. A total of 351 volunteers from 3 states in the western United States participated in a questionnaire study. Three open-ended questions addressed how they heard of hospice, why they started, and why they continued. Their intentions to continue were also measured on rating scales. Responses to the open-ended questions were coded with acceptable intercoder reliability. Findings were that volunteers heard of opportunities through hospice and health care contacts, personal contacts, print and electronic sources, and other nonhospice organizations. They began volunteering primarily to be of service and because of a personal experience with the death of someone to whom they were close. Most volunteers chose to continue because they found it personally rewarding, helpful to others, or both, but many reported that they continue because of the quality of their own hospice organization and its staff. Demographic influences were noted but were generally small.

Does the Relation between Volunteering and Well-Being Vary with Health and Age?

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Okun, Morris A.; Rios, Rebeca; Crawford, Aaron V.; Levy, Roy

2011-01-01

Previous studies have established a positive association between organizational volunteering and well-being. In the current study, we examined whether the relations between organizational volunteering and positive affect, negative affect, and resilience are modified by respondents' age and number of chronic health conditions. This study used…

Reducing child global undernutrition at scale in Sofala Province, Mozambique, using Care Group Volunteers to communicate health messages to mothers

PubMed Central

Davis, Thomas P; Wetzel, Carolyn; Hernandez Avilan, Emma; de Mendoza Lopes, Cecilia; Chase, Rachel P; Winch, Peter J; Perry, Henry B

2013-01-01

Background: Undernutrition contributes to one-third of under-5 child mortality globally. Progress in achieving the Millennium Development Goal of reducing under-5 mortality is lagging in many countries, particularly in Africa. This paper shares evidence and insights from a low-cost behavior-change innovation in a rural area of Mozambique. Intervention: About 50,000 households with pregnant women or children under 2 years old were organized into blocks of 12 households. One volunteer peer educator (Care Group Volunteer, or CGV) was selected for each block. Approximately 12 CGVs met together as a group every 2 weeks with a paid project promoter to learn a new child-survival health or nutrition message or skill. Then the CGVs shared the new message with mothers in their assigned blocks. Methods of evaluation: Household surveys were conducted at baseline and endline to measure nutrition-related behaviors and childhood nutritional status. Findings: More than 90% of beneficiary mothers reported that they had been contacted by CGVs during the previous 2 weeks. In the early implementation project area, the percentage of children 0–23 months old with global undernutrition (weight-for-age with z-score of less than 2 standard deviations below the international standard mean) declined by 8.1 percentage points (P<0.001), from 25.9% (95% confidence interval [CI] = 22.2%–29.6%) at baseline to 17.8% at endline (95% CI = 14.6%–20.9%). In the delayed implementation area, global undernutrition declined by 11.5 percentage points (P<0.001), from 27.1% (95% CI = 23.6%–30.6%) to 15.6% (95% CI = 12.6%–18.6%). Total project costs were US$3.0 million, representing an average cost of US$0.55 per capita per year (among the entire population of 1.1 million people) and US$2.78 per beneficiary (mothers with young children) per year. Conclusion: Using the Care Group model can improve the level of global undernutrition in children at scale and at low cost. This model shows

Perceptions of short-term medical volunteer work: a qualitative study in Guatemala

PubMed Central

Green, Tyler; Green, Heidi; Scandlyn, Jean; Kestler, Andrew

2009-01-01

Background Each year medical providers from wealthy countries participate in short-term medical volunteer work in resource-poor countries. Various authors have raised concern that such work has the potential to be harmful to recipient communities; however, the social science and medical literature contains little research into the perceptions of short-term medical volunteer work from the perspective of members of recipient communities. This exploratory study examines the perception of short-term medical volunteer work in Guatemala among groups of actors affected by or participating in these programs. Methods The researchers conducted in-depth, semi-structured interviews with 72 individuals, including Guatemalan healthcare providers and health authorities, foreign medical providers, non-medical personnel working on health projects, and Guatemalan parents of children treated by a short-term volunteer group. Detailed notes and summaries of these interviews were uploaded, coded and annotated using Atlas.ti (Scientific Software Development GmbH, Berlin) to identify recurrent themes from the interviews. Results Informants commonly identified a need for increased access to medical services in Guatemala, and many believed that short-term medical volunteers are in a position to offer improved access to medical care in the communities where they serve. Informants most frequently cited appropriate patient selection and attention to payment systems as the best means to avoid creating dependence on foreign aid. The most frequent suggestion to improve short-term medical volunteer work was coordination with and respect for local Guatemalan healthcare providers and their communities, as insufficient understanding of the country's existing healthcare resources and needs may result in perceived harm to the recipient community. Conclusion The perceived impact of short-term medical volunteer projects in Guatemala is highly variable and dependent upon the individual project. In this

Reforming health care for the elderly--the example of Vorarlberg.

PubMed

Badelt, C

1987-01-01

Vorarlberg--Austria's most western province with a population of about 325,000--has always implemented forms of social policy in which the principles of subsidiarity and solidarity play an important role. This is reflected in the structure of the organizations traditionally providing social services as well as in the more recent programmes the government has developed for social policy. This paper discusses two cases in point: the private associations for home care (Krankenpflegerverbände)--which now exist in 65 Vorarlberg communities and cover 85% of the population in the province--offering nursing services at home to members or to persons who are willing to join the organization when they need care, and the new organizational model, called Gesunder Lebensraum Vorarlberg (GLV), which is successfully operating in a few pilot communities. GLV has spawned umbrella organizations, run by volunteers, and offering a variety of social services relevant to the elderly, for example visiting services or neighbourhood help in case of emergencies. The volunteers get organizational help from a profit-making firm financed by the government. The Vorarlberg models can be interpreted as a step towards demedicalization and deinstitutionalization of health care for the elderly. Nevertheless, they also show the problems that arise when professionals and volunteers must cooperate. The models may lead to savings for the governments involved, although details are still subject to future empirical investigations.

A contemplative care approach to training and supporting hospice volunteers: a prospective study of spiritual practice, well-being, and fear of death.

PubMed

Scherwitz, Larry; Pullman, Marcie; McHenry, Pamela; Gao, Billy; Ostaseski, Frank

2006-01-01

Inspired by a 2,500-year-old Buddhist tradition, the Zen Hospice Project (ZHP) provides residential hospice care, volunteer programs, and educational efforts that cultivate wisdom and compassion in service. The present study was designed to understand how being with dying hospice residents affects hospice volunteers well-being and the role of spiritual practice in ameliorating the fear of death. A one-year longitudinal study of two volunteer cohorts (N = 24 and N = 22) with repeated measures of spiritual practice, well-being, and hospice performance during one-year service as volunteers. The Zen Hospice Guest House and Laguna Honda Residential Hospital of San Francisco, CA. All 46 individuals who became ZHP volunteers during two years. A 40-hour training program for beginning hospice volunteers stressing compassion, equanimity, mindfulness, and practical bedside care; a one-year caregiver assignment five hours per week; and monthly group meeting. Self-report FACIT spiritual well-being, general well-being, self-transcendence scale, and a volunteer coordinator-rated ZHP performance scale. The volunteers had a high level of self-care and well-being at baseline and maintained both throughout the year; they increased compassion and decreased fear of death. Those (n = 20) practicing yoga were found to have consistently lower fear of death than the group average (P = .04, P = .008, respectively). All rated the training and program highly, and 63% continued to volunteer after the first year's commitment. The results suggest that this approach to training and supporting hospice volunteers fosters emotional well-being and spiritual growth.

Value-Expressive Volunteer Motivation and Volunteering by Older Adults: Relationships With Religiosity and Spirituality.

PubMed

Okun, Morris A; O'Rourke, Holly P; Keller, Brian; Johnson, Kathryn A; Enders, Craig

2015-11-01

This study investigates the interplay among religiosity, spirituality, value-expressive volunteer motivation, and volunteering. We examined religiosity and spirituality as predictors of value-expressive volunteer motivation and volunteering and whether religiosity moderated the relations between (a) spirituality and value-expressive volunteer motivation and (b) value-expressive volunteer motivation and volunteering. After applying multiple imputation procedures to data from the Wisconsin Longitudinal Study among participants 64-67 years old who survived beyond 2004 (N = 8,148), we carried out regression analyses to predict value-expressive volunteer motivation and volunteering from religiosity and spirituality controlling for demographic variables, physical, emotional, and cognitive health, health risk behaviors, and personality traits. Both religiosity and spirituality were significant (p < .001) positive predictors of value-expressive volunteer motivation. Value-expressive volunteer motivation and religiosity were significant (p < .001) positive predictors, whereas spirituality was a significant (p < .001) negative predictor, of volunteering. Religiosity amplified the relation between value-expressive volunteer motivation and volunteering (p < .05) but did not moderate the relation between spirituality and value-expressive volunteer motivation (p > .45). Religiosity may provide the way, and value-expressive volunteer motivation the will, to volunteer. The implications of our findings for the forecasted shortage of older volunteers are discussed. © The Author 2014. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of The Gerontological Society of America. All rights reserved. For permissions, please e-mail: journals.permissions@oup.com.

Volunteering Is Associated with Lower Risk of Cognitive Impairment.

PubMed

Infurna, Frank J; Okun, Morris A; Grimm, Kevin J

2016-11-01

To examine whether psychosocial factors that can be a target for interventions, such as volunteering, are associated with risk of cognitive impairment. Health and Retirement Study (HRS) data from 1998 to 2012, a nationally representative longitudinal panel survey of older adults assessed every 2 years, were used. The HRS interviews participants aged 50 and older across the contiguous United States. Individuals aged 60 and older in 1998 (N = 13,262). Personal interviews were conducted with respondents to assess presence of cognitive impairment, measured using a composite across cognitive measures. Volunteering at the initial assessment and volunteering regularly over time independently decreased the risk of cognitive impairment over 14 years, and these findings were maintained independent of known risk factors for cognitive impairment. Greater risk of onset of cognitive impairment was associated with being older, being female, being nonwhite, having fewer years of education, and reporting more depressive symptoms. Consistent civic engagement in old age is associated with lower risk of cognitive impairment and provides impetus for interventions to protect against the onset of cognitive impairment. Given the increasing number of baby boomers entering old age, the findings support the public health benefits of volunteering and the potential role of geriatricians, who can promote volunteering by incorporating "prescriptions to volunteer" into their patient care. © 2016, Copyright the Authors Journal compilation © 2016, The American Geriatrics Society.

Volunteering as a predictor of all-cause mortality: what aspects of volunteering really matter?

PubMed

Ayalon, Liat

2008-10-01

This study evaluates the predictive effects of different aspects of volunteering (e.g. volunteering status, number of hours, number of years, and type of volunteering activity) on all-cause mortality. A seven-year follow-up dataset of a nationally representative sample of Israelis, 60 years and older was used. As expected, volunteering was associated with a reduced mortality risk even after adjusting for age, gender, education, baseline mental health and physical health, activity level, and social engagement. Those who volunteered for 10 to 14 years had a reduced mortality risk relative to non-volunteers. In addition, those who volunteered privately, not as part of an official organization, also had a reduced mortality risk compared to non-volunteers. The number of hours of volunteering was not a significant predictor of all-cause mortality in the fully adjusted model. In additional sensitivity analyses limited to those who volunteered, none of the various aspects of volunteering was associated with a reduced mortality risk. Results suggest that not all aspects of volunteering have the same predictive value and that the protective effects of length of volunteering time and type of volunteering are particularly important. However, whether or not volunteering is the most consistent predictor of mortality and whether once a person volunteers the various aspects of volunteering are no longer associated with mortality risk.

Burnout and connectedness in the job demands-resources model: studying palliative care volunteers and their families.

PubMed

Huynh, Jasmine-Yan; Winefield, Anthony H; Xanthopoulou, Despoina; Metzer, Jacques C

2012-09-01

This study examined the role of burnout and connectedness in the job demands-resources (JD-R) model among palliative care volunteers. It was hypothesized that (a) exhaustion mediates the relationship between demands and depression, and between demands and retention; (b) cynicism mediates the relationship between resources and retention; and (c) connectedness mediates the relationship between resources and retention. Hypotheses were tested in 2 separate analyses: structural equation modeling (SEM) and path analyses. The first was based on volunteer self-reports (N = 204), while the second analysis concerned matched data from volunteers and their family members (N = 99). While strong support was found for cynicism and connectedness as mediators in both types of analyses, this was not altogether the case for exhaustion. Implications of these findings for the JD-R model and volunteer organizations are discussed.

Emergency preparedness volunteer training program.

PubMed

Matthews, Amanda K; Sprague, Kristin; Girling, Eileen; Dapice, Lynne; Palumbo, Mary Val; Berry, Patricia

2005-11-01

The Vermont Department of Health (VDH) does not have sufficient personnel to fully staff a mass prophylaxis or vaccination clinic in response to a natural or man-made disease outbreak. Therefore, the VDH developed an emergency preparedness volunteer training program with three primary goals: to include both background information about public health and emergency preparedness and a hands-on training for clinic volunteers; to be adaptable for both community and healthcare professional volunteers; and to examine local emergencies and the VDH public health response to these events. Major components of the training program include basic public health goals and capacities; an introduction to emergency preparedness; a role-playing exercise using Job Action Sheets to simulate "just-in-time" training; and guidance for personal and family preparedness. The VDH has experienced difficulty finding and recruiting volunteers. To increase the potential volunteer pool, it will be implementing a multifaceted training program (on-line, through the mail, in person) to most effectively engage volunteers with varying interests and learning styles. The VDH must also develop a system to maintain regular contact with volunteers and clarify regulations regarding their scope of practice and liability.

Using the Health Physics Student Volunteer Program for a Research Project Sponsored by the Medical Section of the Health Physics Society.

PubMed

Steiner, Joseph; Leinwander, Penny

2017-04-01

The Health Physics Society (HPS) Medical Health Physics Section (MHPS) received a request to research data on radiation safety guidance related to the death of patients who have recently received therapeutic doses of sealed or unsealed therapy sources. The MHPS elected to use student volunteers to perform this research. The purpose of this manuscript is to describe and provide a template for the process used by the MHPS to develop a student volunteer program. To implement the student volunteer program, the MHPS collaborated with the HPS Student Support Committee to develop a research proposal and a student volunteer selection process. The research proposal was sent to HPS student members in a call for volunteers. Two student volunteers were chosen based on predetermined qualifications to complete the work effort outlined in the research proposal. This project progressed with the use of milestones and culminated with the students presenting their findings at the annual HPS meeting. The students received HPS student travel awards to present at the conference. This work effort proved to be extremely beneficial to all parties involved.

The role of volunteer support in the community for adults with hearing loss and hearing aids.

PubMed

Pryce, Helen; Hall, Amanda; Gooberman-Hill, Rachael

2015-08-01

To explore interactions between audiology patients and volunteers, to describe encounters and define the role of volunteers. Qualitative ethnographic and interview study of volunteer-patient interactions. Ten volunteer participants from two volunteer schemes in South West England were observed and interviewed. Three patient participants were interviewed. Analysis of observational data showed that volunteers provided support relating to local services and hearing aids, but did not engage in discussions about hearing loss. Interviews with volunteers identified gaps in audiology provision, including accessible services and clear information and highlighted a need for more support from audiology services to enable them to fulfil their role. Volunteer interactions with patients mimicked a clinician-patient encounter and volunteers employed strategies and behaviours used by professional audiologists. Audiology volunteers could provide an accessible bridge between health services and the community but their care is limited to focus on hearing aids. Volunteers enable patients to use hearing aids appropriately and are a core element of current care arrangements. However, volunteers express a need for adequate support from audiology services. Volunteers have the potential to increase service capacity and to bridge the gaps between community and audiology healthcare services. Copyright © 2015 The Authors. Published by Elsevier Ireland Ltd.. All rights reserved.

Diversity among hospice volunteers: a challenge for the development of a responsive volunteer program.

PubMed

Roessler, A; Carter, H; Campbell, L; MacLeod, R

1999-01-01

Voluntary organizations such as hospices are increasingly being called upon to substitute for state health and social welfare delivery at a time when volunteer contributions are threatened because of organizational and demographic changes. These changes include: the adoption by the nonprofit sector of market strategies in response to health and social welfare reforms, increases in the size and complexity of hospices, increasing professionalization of staff, and the move of women away from voluntary work in the health and welfare services to paid employment. With these changes, hospices must be knowledgeable about their volunteer workforce and resourceful if they are to continue to attract and retain volunteers. A survey of volunteers conducted at the Mary Potter Hospice, Wellington, New Zealand, examined differences in volunteers' characteristics, motivations for joining hospice, and factors affecting work satisfaction according to age, gender, and the length of time volunteers had worked. Those findings of particular relevance to program development were: (1) the tendency for the recently recruited volunteers to be in paid employment; (2) the mixed motivations of the younger volunteers, reflecting both altruistic and personal gain needs; and (3) the rewards commonly identified by volunteers, such as feeling their work is of value, being accepted by hospice staff, and feeling like important team members. Practical outcomes of the study are described.

Motivation of Community Health Volunteers in rural Uganda: the interconnectedness of knowledge, relationship and action.

PubMed

Singh, Debra; Cumming, Robert; Mohajer, Nicole; Negin, Joel

2016-07-01

In some countries, full-time Community Health Workers (CHWs) have contributed to improvements in under-5 morbidity and mortality. Based on these successes, other low- and middle-income countries are in the process of reconsidering their current health care delivery systems and integrating CHWs as a means by which to fill the gaps. It may be important to make the distinction between CHWs and Community Health Volunteers (CHVs), both of which have a unique but complementary role. While remuneration in motivation of CHWs has been extensively discussed in the literature, other motivators that may prevent high attrition rates amongst volunteers have gained less attention. The objective of this study was to understand whether full-time professional CHWs can potentially work with volunteers in the community to widen their reach and scope and if so what motivators might be of key importance to the CHVs remaining active in the field. CHVs were selected and trained in eight villages in East Uganda as part of a mixed-method trial conducted between March 2014 and February 2015. Eight to twelve CHVs from each village were trained by CHWs to make home-visits to pregnant women and newborn babies and to improve hygiene. This paper reports on a) demographic data about CHVs (n = 81) and; b) in-depth interviews with retained CHVs (n = 81). There was a 95% retention rate amongst CHVs. In-depth interviews showed that acquisition and sharing of knowledge, relationship building and seeing health-related knowledge put into action were more important motivators than the transport allowances or the hope of gaining employment. Additionally, CHVs put what they learnt into practice by building tippy taps, having dish-racks and purifying water in their homes and as such were role models in the community. CHVs can be retained and motivated by factors other than remuneration. Gaining and sharing of knowledge with community members, relationship building and community action were inter

Understanding the motivation and performance of community health volunteers involved in the delivery of health programmes in Kampala, Uganda: a realist evaluation

PubMed Central

Vareilles, Gaëlle; Marchal, Bruno; Kane, Sumit; Petrič, Taja; Pictet, Gabriel; Pommier, Jeanine

2015-01-01

Objectives This paper presents the results of a realist evaluation that aimed to understand how, why and under what circumstances a Red Cross (RC) capacity-building intervention influences the motivation and the performance of RC community health volunteers involved in the delivery of an immunisation programme in Kampala, Uganda. Method Given the complexity of the intervention, we adopted realist evaluation as our methodological approach and the case study as our study design. Data collection included document review, participant observation and interviews. The constant comparative method was used for the analysis. Two contrasted cases were selected within the five Kampala districts. Each case covers the management of the immunisation programme implemented at a RC branch. In each case, a programme manager and 15 RC volunteers were interviewed. The selection of the volunteers was purposive. Results We found that a capacity-building programme including supervision supportive of autonomy, skills and knowledge enhancement, and adapted to the different subgroups of volunteers, leads to satisfaction of the three key drivers of volunteer motivation: feelings of autonomy, competence and connectedness. This contributes to higher retention, and better task performance and well-being among the volunteers. Enabling contextual conditions include the responsiveness of the Uganda Red Cross Society (URCS) to community needs, and recognition of the work of the volunteers, from the URCS and the community. Conclusions A management approach that caters for the different motivational states and changing needs of the volunteers will lead to better performance. The findings will inform not only the management of community health volunteers, but also the management of all kinds of health workers. PMID:26525721

Improvement of Early Antenatal Care Initiation: The Effects of Training Local Health Volunteers in the Community.

PubMed

Liabsuetrakul, Tippawan; Oumudee, Nurlisa; Armeeroh, Masuenah; Nima, Niamina; Duerahing, Nurosanah

2018-01-01

Although antenatal care (ANC) coverage has been increasing in low- and middle-income countries, the adherence to the ANC initiation standards at gestational age <12 weeks was inadequate including Thailand. The study aimed to improve the rate of early ANC initiation by training the existing local health volunteers (LHVs) in 3 southernmost provinces of Thailand. A clustered nonrandomized intervention study was conducted from November 2012 to February 2014. One district of each province was selected to be the study intervention districts for that province. A total of 124 LHVs in the intervention districts participated in the knowledge-counseling intervention. It was organized as half-day workshop using 2 training modules each comprising a 30-minute lecture followed by counseling practice in pairs for 1 hour. Outcome was the rate of early ANC initiation among women giving birth, and its association with intervention, meeting an LHV, and months after training was analyzed. Of 6677 women, 3178 and 3499 women were in the control and intervention groups, respectively. Rates of early ANC were significantly improved after the intervention (adjusted odds ratio [OR]: 1.29, 95% confidence interval [CI]: 1.17-1.43, P < .001) and meeting an LHV (adjusted OR: 2.06, 95% CI: 1.86-2.29, P < .001), but lower at 6 months after training (adjusted OR: 0.76, 95% CI: 0.60-0.96, P = .002). Almost all women (99.7%) in the intervention group who met an LHV reported that they were encouraged to attend early ANC. Training LHVs in communities by knowledge-counseling intervention significantly improved early ANC initiation, but the magnitude of change was still limited.

Learning from developing countries in strengthening health systems: an evaluation of personal and professional impact among global health volunteers at Addis Ababa University's Tikur Anbessa Specialized Hospital (Ethiopia).

PubMed

Busse, Heidi; Aboneh, Ephrem A; Tefera, Girma

2014-09-05

The positive impact of global health activities by volunteers from the United States in low-and middle-income countries has been recognized. Most existing global health partnerships evaluate what knowledge, ideas, and activities the US institution transferred to the low- or middle-income country. However, what this fails to capture are what kinds of change happen to US-based partners due to engagement in global health partnerships, both at the individual and institutional levels. "Reverse innovation" is the term that is used in global health literature to describe this type of impact. The objectives of this study were to identify what kinds of impact global partnerships have on health volunteers from developed countries, advance this emerging body of knowledge, and improve understanding of methods and indicators for assessing reverse innovation. The study population consisted of 80 US, Canada, and South Africa-based health care professionals who volunteered at Tikur Anbessa Specialized Hospital in Ethiopia. Surveys were web-based and included multiple choice and open-ended questions to assess global health competencies. The data were analyzed using IBRM SPSS® version 21 for quantitative analysis; the open-ended responses were coded using constant comparative analysis to identify themes. Of the 80 volunteers, 63 responded (79 percent response rate). Fifty-two percent of the respondents were male, and over 60 percent were 40 years of age and older. Eighty-three percent reported they accomplished their trip objectives, 95 percent would participate in future activities and 96 percent would recommend participation to other colleagues. Eighty-nine percent reported personal impact and 73 percent reported change on their professional development. Previous global health experience, multiple prior trips, and the desire for career advancement were associated with positive impact on professional development. Professionally and personally meaningful learning happens often

Our experience as a Health Volunteers Overseas–sponsored team in Huê´, Vietnam

PubMed Central

Denham, Claude A.; Osborne, Cynthia R.; Green, Nathan B.; Divers, Josephine; Pippen, John E.

2013-01-01

A group from Texas Oncology and Baylor Charles A. Sammons Cancer Center traveled to Huê´, Vietnam, as part of Health Volunteers Overseas. From February 21 to March 6, 2012, five Baylor Sammons medical oncologists and an oncology nurse worked with a medical oncologist and a surgeon at the Huê´ College of Medicine and Pharmacy, suggesting approaches based on available resources. The two groups worked together to find optimal solutions for the patients. What stood out the most for the Baylor Sammons group was the Huê´ team's remarkable work ethic, empathy for patients, and treatment resourcefulness. The Baylor Sammons group also identified several unmet needs that could potentially be addressed by future volunteers in Huê´, including creation of an outpatient hospice program, establishment of breast cancer screening, modernization of the pathology department, instruction in and better utilization of pain management, better use of clinic space, and the teaching of oncology and English to medical students. There was a mutual exchange of knowledge between the two medical teams. The Baylor Sammons group not only taught but also learned how to take good care of patients with limited resources. PMID:23543968

Volunteer satisfaction and program evaluation at a pediatric hospice.

PubMed

Pascuet, Elena; Beauchemin, Lise; Vaillancourt, Régis; Cowin, Lloyd; Ni, Andy; Rattray, Marion

2012-05-01

Volunteers are essential to the functioning of palliative care programs and serve as important members of the hospice team. They devote much time, effort, and diverse skills and talent to enhance the quality of care at Roger's House--a pediatric palliative care hospice. To evaluate volunteering in a pediatric palliative care hospice and to assess the level of satisfaction from the perspective of hospice volunteers. A survey was sent to all active Roger's House volunteers. Questions were related to their demographics, their overall impression of their volunteering experience, and 47 closed (fixed-choice) statements, divided into 6 parts: 1) Orientation; 2) Training; 3) Feedback/Performance; 4) Communication; 5) Social Contacts; and 6) Value and Respect. Each statement was rated by the participants using a six-point Likert rating scale. Volunteers fully completing the survey were 159 online and 4 on paper, giving a response rate of 66%. The greater number (66, 40.5%) of respondents were 50 years or older and they were mostly female (141, 86.5%). Successes identified included the volunteers' orientation, training, and feedback and performance. Challenges identified included certain aspects of communication, social contacts, and respect/value for the volunteer. Volunteers at Roger's House are generally satisfied with their volunteer position and the environment in which they work. Greater insight into volunteer satisfaction and factors that bring feelings of reward and/or dissatisfaction to the volunteers have allowed Roger's House to identify informed and effective interventions to improve the quality of and satisfaction with the hospice volunteer program.

Efficacy of a training program designed to help address challenges faced by health promotion volunteers.

PubMed

Taguchi, Atsuko; Murayama, Hiroshi; Arakawa, Mihoko; Terao, Atsushi

2017-01-01

Objective　To evaluate the effectiveness of a training program designed to address the following three challenges facing health promotion volunteers: lack of new volunteers, short tenure of volunteering, and failure to build a collaborative relationship with other civic organizations.Methods　Thirty-eight volunteer leaders representing 36 school districts (one from each district and two additional leaders) from southern parts of Shiga Prefecture participated in the training program. Four training sessions were conducted between July 2012 and January 2013. Each session lasted for 2 hours. The program included a lecture, group work, and role playing, all of which centered on the challenges experienced by the volunteers and possible solutions. Those who participated constituted the "training group," and other volunteers in the same area of Shiga, who did not take part in the program, made up the "non-training group." A third, control group consisted of health promotion volunteers based in City A, located outside the areas where the training occurred. To compare the three groups, we collected data before and after the training. The main evaluation index comprised the following three survey items: having confidence in recruiting new volunteers, having confidence in overcoming the difficulties or discouragement to continue to volunteer, and having confidence in explaining their activities to other local organizations to earn their cooperation. These questions were asked in a self-administered questionnaire using a 6-point Likert scale (1: strongly disagree, 6: strongly agree).Results　The data were compared among the training group (28 out of the 38 participants completed the survey), non-training group (n=293), and control group (n=107). On the question about recruiting new volunteers, the training group's mean score increased from 2.9 (standard deviation (SD)=1.3) to 3.3 (SD=1.0) following the training, and the improvement relative to the other two groups was

Learning the moral economy of commodified health care: "community education," failed consumers, and the shaping of ethical clinician-citizens.

PubMed

Rivkin-Fish, Michele

2011-06-01

Leaders of health professional schools often support community-based education as a means of promoting emerging practitioners' awareness of health disparities and commitment to serving the poor. Yet, most programs do not teach about the causes of health disparities, raising questions regarding what social and political lessons students learn from these experiences. This article examines the ways in which community-based clinical education programs help shape the subjectivities of new dentists as ethical clinician-citizens within the US commodified health care system. Drawing on ethnographic research during volunteer and required community-based programs and interviews with participants, I demonstrate three implicit logics that students learned: (1) dialectical ideologies of volunteer entitlement and recipient debt; (2) forms of justification for the often inferior care provided to "failed" consumers (patients with Medicaid or uninsured); and (3) specific forms of obligations characterizing the ethical clinician-citizen. I explore the ways these messages reflected the structured relations of both student encounters and the overarching health care system, and examine the strategies faculty supervisors undertook to challenge these messages and relations. Finally, I argue that promoting commitments to social justice in health care should not rely on cultivating altruism, but should instead be pursued through educating new practitioners about the lives of poor people, the causal relationships between poverty and poor health, and attention to the structure of health care and provider-patient interactions. This approach involves shining a critical light on America's commodified health care system as an arena based in relations of power and inequality.

A study of the motivations of British hospice volunteers.

PubMed

Claxton-Oldfield, Stephen; Claxton-Oldfield, Jane; Paulovic, Stefan; Wasylkiw, Louise

2013-09-01

In all, 162 British hospice volunteers completed the Inventory of Motivations for Hospice Palliative Care Volunteerism (IMHPCV) of Claxton-Oldfield, Wasylkiw, Mark, and Claxton-Oldfield.(1) The IMHPCV taps into 5 different categories of motives for becoming a hospice palliative care volunteer: altruism, civic responsibility, leisure, self-promotion, and personal gain. Altruistic motives were the most influential reasons for choosing to join hospice; personal gain motives were the least influential reasons for becoming a hospice volunteer. Altruistic motives were found to be a significant predictor of volunteers' length of service to the hospice. Compared to previously collected data from a sample of Canadian hospice palliative care volunteers,(1) the current study's sample of British hospice volunteers scored significantly different on 2 of the 5 categories of motives on the IMHPCV.

Powerless positions, silenced voices? - critical views on health and social care management.

PubMed

Hujala, Anneli; Laulainen, Sanna; Lindberg, Kajsa

2014-01-01

The purpose of this paper is to provide background to this special issue and consider how critically oriented research can be applied to health and social care management. Basic principles of critical management studies are introduced briefly to frame subsequent papers in this issue. In order to identify the wicked problems and darker sides of the care field, there is a need to study things in alternative ways through critical lenses. Giving a voice to those in less powerful positions may result in redefinition and redesign of conventional roles and agency of patients, volunteers and professionals and call into question the taken-for-granted understanding of health and social care management. The special issue as a whole was designed to enhance critical approaches to the discussion in the field of health and social care. This editorial hopefully raises awareness of CMS and serves as an opening for further discussion on critical views in the research on management and organization in this field.

Understanding the motivation and performance of community health volunteers involved in the delivery of health programmes in Kampala, Uganda: a realist evaluation.

PubMed

Vareilles, Gaëlle; Marchal, Bruno; Kane, Sumit; Petrič, Taja; Pictet, Gabriel; Pommier, Jeanine

2015-11-02

This paper presents the results of a realist evaluation that aimed to understand how, why and under what circumstances a Red Cross (RC) capacity-building intervention influences the motivation and the performance of RC community health volunteers involved in the delivery of an immunisation programme in Kampala, Uganda. Given the complexity of the intervention, we adopted realist evaluation as our methodological approach and the case study as our study design. Data collection included document review, participant observation and interviews. The constant comparative method was used for the analysis. Two contrasted cases were selected within the five Kampala districts. Each case covers the management of the immunisation programme implemented at a RC branch. In each case, a programme manager and 15 RC volunteers were interviewed. The selection of the volunteers was purposive. We found that a capacity-building programme including supervision supportive of autonomy, skills and knowledge enhancement, and adapted to the different subgroups of volunteers, leads to satisfaction of the three key drivers of volunteer motivation: feelings of autonomy, competence and connectedness. This contributes to higher retention, and better task performance and well-being among the volunteers. Enabling contextual conditions include the responsiveness of the Uganda Red Cross Society (URCS) to community needs, and recognition of the work of the volunteers, from the URCS and the community. A management approach that caters for the different motivational states and changing needs of the volunteers will lead to better performance. The findings will inform not only the management of community health volunteers, but also the management of all kinds of health workers. Published by the BMJ Publishing Group Limited. For permission to use (where not already granted under a licence) please go to http://www.bmj.com/company/products-services/rights-and-licensing/

Can self-care health books affect amount of contact with the primary health care team? A randomized controlled trial in general practice.

PubMed

Platts, Amanda; Mitton, Rosly; Boniface, David; Friedli, Karin

2005-09-01

To investigate the effects of two differently styled self-care health books in general practice on the frequency and duration of patients' consultations and their views of the books. Random allocation of patients to either a descriptive or a decision-tree based self-care health book, or a no-book control condition. Three- and 12-months follow-up by postal questionnaire and monitoring of consultations. A large general practice in the South East of England. A total of 1967 volunteer, adult patients who attended the practice in 2001 participated. Demographics; health problems; use of health services; use and perceptions of the trial book; frequency and duration of consultations. Response rates to postal questionnaires at 3 and 12 months were 80% and 74%. In all, 48% consulted their allocated book, compared with 25% who consulted any healthcare book in the Control group. Those reporting health problems were more likely to have consulted their allocated book; 60% reported that the allocated book made them more likely to deal with a problem themselves and 40% reported themselves less likely to consult the practice. However, there were no differences in consultation rates or durations of consultations between the three groups. Handing out of self-care health books may provide qualitative benefits for patients but is unlikely to reduce attendance at the GP practice.

The Impact of Trained Volunteer Mealtime Assistants on Dietary Intake and Satisfaction with Mealtime Care in Adult Hospital Inpatients: A Systematic Review.

PubMed

Howson, F F A; Sayer, A A; Roberts, H C

2017-01-01

Malnutrition is common in hospital inpatients and is associated with increased morbidity and mortality. Insufficient assistance at mealtimes can contribute to this and therefore trained volunteer mealtime assistants may be of benefit. To identify and review the current evidence for the impact of trained volunteer mealtime assistants on dietary intake and satisfaction with mealtime care in adult hospital inpatients. A systematic search of Medline, Embase and CINAHL was conducted to identify relevant articles. Articles of any methodology were considered. Quality assessment and data extraction were carried out by two reviewers independently. Participants were inpatients in a hospital setting, including rehabilitation units. Participants in long term care facilities were excluded. Articles that examined the effect of trained volunteer mealtime assistants on nutritional outcomes or satisfaction with mealtime care were included. 5576 articles were identified, of which 14 were included in the review. Nine were small research studies and five were quality improvement initiatives. The quality of eight studies was moderate, with one study being of lower quality. Eight articles reported dietary intake and seven demonstrated an improvement, with protein intakes at volunteer mealtimes increasing by 4.3g-10.1g and energy intakes by 44-105kcal. Ten articles reported positive staff, patient and volunteer feedback. No adverse events were reported. There is evidence from small studies and improvement projects that trained volunteer mealtime assistants are safe and improve satisfaction with mealtime care in hospital inpatients, although evidence for an effect on dietary intake was less consistent. Larger studies with robust methodology are required to confirm this.

The health care home model: primary health care meeting public health goals.

PubMed

Grant, Roy; Greene, Danielle

2012-06-01

In November 2010, the American Public Health Association endorsed the health care home model as an important way that primary care may contribute to meeting the public health goals of increasing access to care, reducing health disparities, and better integrating health care with public health systems. Here we summarize the elements of the health care home (also called the medical home) model, evidence for its clinical and public health efficacy, and its place within the context of health care reform legislation. The model also has limitations, especially with regard to its degree of involvement with the communities in which care is delivered. Several actions could be undertaken to further develop, implement, and sustain the health care home.

The Effect of Medical Student Volunteering in a Student-Run Clinic on Specialty Choice for Residency.

PubMed

Brown, Ashley; Ismail, Rahim; Gookin, Glenn; Hernandez, Caridad; Logan, Grace; Pasarica, Magdalena

2017-01-09

 Student-run free clinics (SRFCs) are a recent popular addition to medical school education, and a subset of studies has looked at the influence of SRFC volunteering on the medical student's career development. The majority of the research done in this area has focused on understanding if these SRFCs produce physicians who are more likely to practice medicine in underserved communities, caring for the uninsured. The remainder of the research has investigated if volunteering in an SRFC influences the specialty choice of medical school students. The results of these specialty choice studies give no definitive answer as to whether medical students chose primary or specialty care residencies as a result of their SRFC experience. Keeping Neighbors in Good Health through Service (KNIGHTS) is the SRFC of the University of Central Florida College of Medicine (UCF COM). Both primary and specialty care is offered at the clinic. It is the goal of this study to determine if volunteering in the KNIGHTS SRFC influences UCF COM medical students to choose primary care, thereby helping to meet the rising need for primary care physicians in the United States.  A survey was distributed to first, second, and third-year medical students at the UCF COM to collect data on demographics, prior volunteering experience, and specialty choice for residency. Responses were then combined with records of volunteer hours from the KNIGHTS Clinic and analyzed for correlations. We analyzed the frequency and Pearson's chi-squared values. A p value of less than 0.05 was considered statistically significant.  Our survey had a total response rate of 39.8%. We found that neither the act of becoming a KNIGHTS Clinic volunteer nor the hours volunteered at the KNIGHTS Clinic influenced the UCF COM student's choice to enter a primary care specialty (p = NS). Additionally, prior volunteering/clinical experience or the gender of the medical school student did not influence a student's choice to volunteer at

Development of the volunteer peer educator role in a community Cardiovascular Health Awareness Program (CHAP): a process evaluation in two communities.

PubMed

Karwalajtys, Tina; McDonough, Beatrice; Hall, Heather; Guirguis-Younger, Manal; Chambers, Larry W; Kaczorowski, Janusz; Lohfeld, Lynne; Hutchison, Brian

2009-08-01

Volunteers can support the delivery and sustainability of programs promoting chronic disease awareness to improve health at the community level. This paper describes the development of the peer education component of the Cardiovascular Health Awareness Program (CHAP) and assessment of the volunteer peer educator role in a community-wide demonstration project in two mid-sized Ontario communities. A case study approach was used incorporating process learning, a volunteer survey and debriefing discussions with volunteers. A post-program questionnaire was administered to 48 volunteers. Five debriefing discussions were conducted with 27 volunteers using a semi-structured interview guide. Discussions were audio-recorded and transcribed. Analysis used an editing approach to identify themes, taking into account the community-specific context. Volunteers reported an overall positive experience and identified rewarding aspects of their involvement. They felt well prepared but appreciated ongoing training and support and requested more refresher training. Understanding of program objectives increased volunteer satisfaction. Volunteers continued to develop their role during the program; however, organizational and logistical factors sometimes limited skill acquisition and contributions. The prospect of greater involvement in providing tailored health education resources addressing modifiable risk factors was acceptable to most volunteers. Continued refinement of strategies to recruit, train, retain and support volunteers strengthened the peer education component of CHAP. The experience and contributions of volunteers were influenced by the wider context of program delivery. Process evaluation allowed program planners to anticipate challenges, strengthen support for volunteer activities, and expand the peer educator role. This learning can inform similar peer-led health promotion initiatives.

Contribution of the community health volunteers in the control of Buruli ulcer in Bénin.

PubMed

Barogui, Yves Thierry; Sopoh, Ghislain Emmanuel; Johnson, Roch Christian; de Zeeuw, Janine; Dossou, Ange Dodji; Houezo, Jean Gabin; Chauty, Annick; Aguiar, Julia; Agossadou, Didier; Edorh, Patrick A; Asiedu, Kingsley; van der Werf, Tjip S; Stienstra, Ymkje

2014-10-01

Buruli ulcer (BU) is a neglected tropical disease caused by Mycobacterium ulcerans. Usually BU begins as a painless nodule, plaque or edema, ultimately developing into an ulcer. The high number of patients presenting with ulcers in an advanced stage is striking. Such late presentation will complicate treatment and have long-term disabilities as a consequence. The disease is mainly endemic in West Africa. The primary strategy for control of this disease is early detection using community village volunteers. In this retrospective, observational study, information regarding Buruli ulcer patients that reported to one of the four BU centers in Bénin between January 2008 and December 2010 was collected using the WHO/BU01 forms. Information used from these forms included general characteristics of the patient, the results of diagnostic tests, the presence of functional limitations at start of treatment, lesion size, patient delay and the referral system. The role of the different referral systems on the stage of disease at presentation in the hospital was analyzed by a logistic regression analysis. About a quarter of the patients (26.5%) were referred to the hospital by the community health volunteers. In our data set, patients referred to the hospital by community health volunteers appeared to be in an earlier stage of disease than patients referred by other methods, but after adjustment by the regression analysis for the health center, this effect could no longer be seen. The Polymerase Chain Reaction (PCR) for IS2404 positivity rate among patients referred by the community health volunteers was not systematically lower than in patients referred by other systems. This study clarifies the role played by community health volunteers in Bénin, and shows that they play an important role in the control of BU.

Research protocol for a randomized controlled trial of the health effects of volunteering for seniors.

PubMed

Pettigrew, Simone; Jongenelis, Michelle; Newton, Robert U; Warburton, Jeni; Jackson, Ben

2015-06-04

A growing evidence base demonstrates that interventions that focus on participation in physical and social activities can assist in preventing and treating both physical and mental health problems. In addition, there is some evidence that engaging in volunteering activities can provide beneficial social, physical, psychological, and cognitive outcomes for older people. This study will use a randomized controlled trial approach to investigate the potential for interventions involving volunteer activities to produce positive physical and psychological outcomes for older people, thereby contributing to the limited evidence relating to the potential for volunteering to provide multiple health effects. This randomized controlled trial will involve 400 retired/non-employed individuals in good health aged 60+ years living in the metropolitan area in Perth, Western Australia. Participants will be recruited from the Perth metropolitan area using a variety of recruitment methods to achieve a diverse sample in terms of age, gender, and socioeconomic status. Consenting and eligible participants will be randomly assigned to an intervention (n = 200) or control group (n = 200). Those in the intervention group will be asked to engage in a minimum 60 min of volunteer activities per week for a period of 6 months, while those in the control group will be asked to maintain their existing lifestyle or take on new activities as they see fit. Physical and psychological outcomes will be assessed. Primary physical outcomes will include physical activity and sedentary time (measured using pedometers and Actigraph monitors) and physical health (measured using a battery of physical functioning tests, resting heart rate, blood pressure, BMI, and girth). Primary psychological outcomes will include psychological well-being, depression, self-esteem, and quality of life (measured using the Warwick-Edinburgh Mental Well-Being Scale, Center for Epidemiologic Studies Depression Scale, the

Impact of a volunteer companion program on nursing students' knowledge and concerns related to palliative care.

PubMed

Kwekkeboom, Kristine L; Vahl, Cheryl; Eland, Joann

2006-02-01

Deficiencies in end-of-life education may explain nursing students' reports of feeling anxious and unqualified to care for dying patients. A volunteer Palliative Care Companion program was developed to provide undergraduate nursing students with an experiential learning opportunity by spending time with dying patients and their families. To evaluate the impact of the Palliative Care Companion program on nursing students' knowledge, attitudes, and concerns about providing palliative care, and to describe companion students' volunteer activities. Quasiexperimental controlled pretest-posttest design. Fifty-two undergraduate nursing students (32 companion students, 20 controls) at a midwestern U.S. university with an affiliated hospital-based palliative care service. All participants completed the Palliative Care Quiz for Nurses, Attitudes Toward Palliative Care, and Concern About Caring for Dying Patients questionnaires at the beginning and end of the semester. Companion subjects also kept a journal describing their palliative care experiences. Attitude scores were not analyzed because of poor internal consistency of the questionnaire. Changes in scores on knowledge items did not reach significance. Concern scores decreased significantly from pretest to posttest in the companion group. After adjusting for pretest concern score, there was a trend toward lower concern score in the companion group compared to controls (p=0.07). Companion students' journals described activities including visiting patients, viewing end-of-life videos, attending educational and public lectures, independent reading, and making bereavement phone calls to family members. The Palliative Care Companion program did not produce significant improvements in knowledge and concerns compared to controls, but companion students described their participation as a meaningful learning experience.

A study of Canadian hospice palliative care volunteers' attitudes toward physician-assisted suicide.

PubMed

Claxton-Oldfield, Stephen; Miller, Kathryn

2015-05-01

The purpose of this study was to examine the attitudes of hospice palliative care (HPC) volunteers who provide in-home support (n = 47) and members of the community (n = 58) toward the issue of physician-assisted suicide (PAS). On the first part of the survey, participants responded to 15 items designed to assess their attitudes toward PAS. An examination of individual items revealed differences in opinions among members of both the groups. Responses to additional questions revealed that the majority of volunteers and community members (1) support legalizing PAS; (2) would choose HPC over PAS for themselves if they were terminally ill; and (3) think Canadians should place more priority on developing HPC rather than on legalizing PAS. The implications of these findings are discussed. © The Author(s) 2014.

Leveraging Telehealth to Bring Volunteer Physicians Into Underserved Communities.

PubMed

Uscher-Pines, Lori; Rudin, Robert; Mehrotra, Ateev

2017-06-01

Many disadvantaged communities lack sufficient numbers of local primary care and specialty physicians. Yet tens of thousands of physicians, in particular those who are retired or semiretired, desire meaningful volunteer opportunities. Multiple programs have begun to use telehealth to bridge the gap between volunteer physicians and underserved patients. In this brief, we describe programs that are using this model and discuss the promise and pitfalls. Physician volunteers in these programs report that the work can be fulfilling and exciting, a cutting-edge yet convenient way to remain engaged and contribute. Given the projected shortfall of physicians in the United States, recruiting retired and semiretired physicians to provide care through telehealth increases the total supply of active physicians and the capacity of the existing workforce. However, programs typically use volunteers in a limited capacity because of uncertainty about the level and duration of commitment. Acknowledging this reality, most programs only use volunteer physicians for curbside consults rather than fully integrating them into longitudinal patient care. The part-time availability of volunteers may also be difficult to incorporate into the workflow of busy safety net clinics. As more physicians volunteer in a growing number of telehealth programs, the dual benefits of enriching the professional lives of volunteers and improving care for underserved communities will make further development of these programs worthwhile.

Garrison Institute on Aging-Lubbock Retired and Senior Volunteer Program (RSVP) Provides Services to South Plains, Texas.

PubMed

Blackmon, Joan; Boles, Annette N; Reddy, P Hemachandra

2015-01-01

The Texas Tech University Health Sciences (TTUHSC) Garrison Institute on Aging (GIA) was established to promote healthy aging through cutting edge research on Alzheimer's disease (AD) and other diseases of aging, through innovative educational and community outreach opportunities for students, clinicians, researchers, health care providers, and the public. The GIA sponsors the Lubbock Retired and Senior Volunteer Program (RSVP). According to RSVP Operations Handbook, RSVP is one of the largest volunteer efforts in the nation. Through this program, volunteer skills and talents can be matched to assist with community needs. It is a federally funded program under the guidance of the Corporation for National and Community Service (CNCS) and Senior Corps (SC). Volunteers that participate in RSVP provide service in the following areas: food security, environmental awareness building and education, community need-based volunteer programs, and veteran services.

Garrison Institute on Aging—Lubbock Retired and Senior Volunteer Program (RSVP) Provides Services to South Plains, Texas

PubMed Central

Blackmon, Joan; Boles, Annette N.; Reddy, P. Hemachandra

2015-01-01

The Texas Tech University Health Sciences (TTUHSC) Garrison Institute on Aging (GIA) was established to promote healthy aging through cutting edge research on Alzheimer's disease (AD) and other diseases of aging, through innovative educational and community outreach opportunities for students, clinicians, researchers, health care providers, and the public. The GIA sponsors the Lubbock Retired and Senior Volunteer Program (RSVP). According to RSVP Operations Handbook, RSVP is one of the largest volunteer efforts in the nation. Through this program, volunteer skills and talents can be matched to assist with community needs. It is a federally funded program under the guidance of the Corporation for National and Community Service (CNCS) and Senior Corps (SC). Volunteers that participate in RSVP provide service in the following areas: food security, environmental awareness building and education, community need-based volunteer programs, and veteran services. PMID:26696877

[Difficulties in the IT solutions of the Danish health-care system].

PubMed

Kildebro, Niels; Fergo, Charlotte; Rosenberg, Jacob

2014-12-08

The IT solutions of the Danish health-care system have been under criticism. Especially the time spent on login. We examined if the daily recommended pelvic floor muscle training could be achieved during login. Login time was measured on five laptops used in daily care in a hospital. Time to conduct pelvic floor training was measured in six volunteers. Median login time/day was 77 minutes and four seconds, and median time to complete exercises was 35 minutes and 14 seconds. The hypothesis was verified, and further studies to optimize time spent on login are recommended. not relevant. not relevant.

Organizational support and volunteering benefits for older adults.

PubMed

Tang, Fengyan; Choi, Eunhee; Morrow-Howell, Nancy

2010-10-01

This study tested a theoretical model of volunteering benefits and examined the mechanism through which volunteering benefits older adults. This is a 2-wave study of 253 older adult volunteers serving in 10 volunteer programs. Older volunteers completed the mailed surveys in 2005 and 2006. Structural equation modeling was used to define the latent variables and to test direct and indirect relationships among organizational support, socioemotional benefits, and self-reported health. Organizational support (measured by choice of volunteer activity, training, and ongoing support) had significant direct associations with 2 latent factors of socioemotional benefits, that is, perceived contribution and personal benefits. Perceived contribution was significantly related to mental health. Additionally, older volunteers with lower socioeconomic status (SES) committed more hours and perceived more personal benefits than higher SES peers. These findings suggest that volunteer programs can provide various organizational supports to older volunteers, especially to low-SES volunteers, in order to promote the socioemotional and health benefits of volunteering to older adults. Psychological well-being of older adults can be improved through engagement in meaningful volunteer activities and contribution to others.

Students' response to disaster: a lesson for health care professional schools.

PubMed

Reyes, Humberto

2010-11-16

The response of medical students, young physicians, and other health professionals to the February 2010 earthquake and tsunami in Chile provides important lessons about health care delivery during disasters and about the development of professionalism. Tertiary and secondary care of victims of these disasters was possible because local and national resources were available and field hospitals provided by Chile's armed forces and foreign countries replaced damaged hospitals. However, primary care of persons living on the outskirts of towns and in small villages and coves that were destroyed and isolated by the disaster required the involvement of volunteer groups that were largely composed of students and other young members of the health professions, all of whom were motivated by solidarity, compassion, and social commitment. This experience, similar to previous catastrophes in Chile and elsewhere, reinforces that medical and other health professional schools must instill in graduates an understanding that the privileges of being a health professional come with responsibilities to society. Beyond providing high-quality scientific and technological education, curricula in these schools should include training that enables graduates to meaningfully contribute in the setting of unexpected disasters and that nurtures a sense of responsibility to do so.

Humanization and volunteering: a qualitative study in public hospitals.

PubMed

Nogueira-Martins, Maria Cezira Fantini; Bersusa, Ana Aparecida Sanches; Siqueira, Siomara Roberta

2010-10-01

To analyze the profile of volunteers and their work process in hospital humanization. The following instruments were used: a sociodemographic questionnaire and a semi-structured interview, applied to 26 volunteer coordinators and 26 volunteers, who belong to 25 hospitals in the metropolitan area of São Paulo, Southeastern Brazil, between 2008 and 2009. Interviews were analyzed according to thematic analysis principles. Five main themes were identified: volunteer profile (age, sex, level of income); volunteer work organization (volunteer agreement, training); volunteer-hospital relationship (relationship with hospital management and employees); motivation (solidarity, previous experience with family members' or one's own diseases, personal satisfaction, conflict resolution) and benefits (individual, dual, collective); and humanization and volunteer activities (patient care, logistic support, emotional support, development of patients' abilities, leisure, organization of commemorative events). In the activity developed by volunteers, there are positive aspects (such as the contribution to hospital humanization) and negative aspects (such as volunteers performing activities assigned to employees). Attention should be paid to the regulation of volunteer activities, especially patient care, and actions that value volunteer work in hospitals and volunteer integration into humanization work groups.

The Feasibility of Creating Partnerships Between Palliative Care Volunteers and Healthcare Providers to Support Rural Frail Older Adults and Their Families: An Integrative Review.

PubMed

Connell, Braydon; Warner, Grace; Weeks, Lori E

2017-09-01

Background/Question: Volunteers are important in the support of frail older adults requiring palliative care, especially in rural areas. However, there are challenges associated with volunteer supports related to training, management and capacity to work in partnership with healthcare providers (HCP). This review addresses the question: What is the feasibility of a volunteer-HCP partnership to support frail older adults residing in rural areas, as they require palliative care? This integrative review identified ten articles that met the identified search criteria. Articles were appraised using the Critical Appraisal Skills Programme (CASP) checklists, designed for use across a range of quantitative and qualitative studies. Studies were drawn from international sources to understand how volunteer roles vary by culture and organization; the majority of studies were conducted in North America. Studies varied in methodology, including quantitative, qualitative and educational commentary. Identified factors that were crucial to the feasibility of volunteer-HCP partnerships in rural areas included volunteer training dynamics, relationships between volunteers and HCP, and rural environmental factors. Preliminary evidence indicates that a volunteer-HCP palliative partnership is feasible. However, training policies/procedures, volunteer-HCP relationships, and rural specific designs impact the feasibility of this partnership. Additional research is needed to further establish the feasibility of implementing these partnerships in rural settings.

Management of health care services for flood victims: the case of the shelter at Nakhon Pathom Rajabhat University Central Thailand.

PubMed

Buajaroen, Hathaichanok

2013-08-01

In Central Thailand basic health care services were affected by a natural disaster in the form of a flood situation. Flood Relief Operations Centers were established from the crisis. Nakhon Pathom Rajabhat University and including the faculty of nursing volunteered to care for those affected and assist in re-establishing a functioning health care system. The aim of this study was to make explicit knowledge of concept, lesson learned, and the process of management for re-establishing a health care service system at a flood victims at Relief Operations Center, Nakhon Pathom Rajabhat University. We used a qualitative design with mixed methods. This involved in-depth interviews, focus group, observational participation and non-observational participation. Key informants included university administrators, instructors, leaders of flood victims and the flood victims. Data was collected during October-December, 2010. Data were analysed using content analysis and compared matrix. We found that the concept and principle of health care services management were community based and involved home care and field hospital services. We had prepared a management system that placed emphasise on a community based approach and holistic caring such as 24h Nursing Clinic Home, visits with family, a referral system, field hospital. The core of management was to achieve integrated instruction started from nursing students were practiced skills as Health promotion and nursing techniques practicum. Rules were established regarding the health care service system. The outcomes of Health Care Service at the Flood Relief Operations Center were direct and sincere help without conditions, administrations concerned and volunteer nursing students instructors, University Officer have sympathetic and charitable with flood victims and environment. Copyright © 2013 College of Emergency Nursing Australasia Ltd. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Determinants of Utilization and Community Experiences with Community Health Volunteers for Treatment of Childhood Illnesses in Rural Sierra Leone.

PubMed

Yansaneh, Aisha I; George, Asha S; Sharkey, Alyssa; Brieger, William R; Moulton, Lawrence H; Yumkella, Fatu; Bangura, Peter; Kabano, Augustin; Diaz, Theresa

2016-04-01

In 2010, at the same time as the national roll out of the Free Health Care Initiative (FHCI), which removed user fees for facility based health care, trained community health volunteers (CHVs) were deployed to provide integrated community case management of diarrhea, malaria and pneumonia to children under 5 years of age (U5) in Kambia and Pujehun districts, Sierra Leone. After 2 years of implementation and in the context of FHCI, CHV utilization rate was 14.0 %. In this study, we examine the factors associated with this level of CHV utilization. A cross-sectional household-cluster survey of 1590 caregivers of 2279 children U5 was conducted in 2012; with CHV utilization assessed using a multiple logistic regression model. Focus groups and in-depth interviews were also conducted to understand communities' experiences with CHVs. Children with diarrhea (OR = 3.17, 95 % CI: 1.17-8.60), from female-headed households (OR = 4.55, 95 % CI: 1.88-11.00), and whose caregivers reported poor quality of care as a barrier to facility care-seeking (OR = 8.53, 95 % CI: 3.13-23.16) were more likely to receive treatment from a CHV. Despite low utilization, caregivers were highly familiar and appreciative of CHVs, but were concerned about the lack of financial remuneration for CHVs. CHVs remained an important source of care for children from female-headed households and whose caregivers reported poor quality of care at health facilities. CHVs are an important strategy for certain populations even when facility utilization is high or when facility services are compromised, as has happened with the recent Ebola epidemic in Sierra Leone.

The Effect of Volunteering at a Student-Run Free Healthcare Clinic on Medical Students' Self-Efficacy, Comfortableness, Attitude, and Interest in Working with the Underserved Population and Interest in Primary Care.

PubMed

Tran, Kelvin; Kovalskiy, Aleksandr; Desai, Anand; Imran, Amna; Ismail, Rahim; Hernandez, Caridad

2017-02-23

The number of primary care physicians in the United States continues to lag behind the number of uninsured people. There has been a growing demand for medical students to improve their self-efficacy, comfortableness, attitude, and interest in working with the underserved and in primary care. This study aims to discern whether volunteering at a student-run, free healthcare clinic has a positive impact on these five variables of interest or not. A 95-item survey was distributed through Qualtrics Survey Software (Qualtrics, Provo, UT, USA) to medical students from the Class of 2018 and Class of 2019 at the University of Central Florida College of Medicine. They were recruited via emails, Facebook, and in-classroom announcements. Mean responses on a Likert-like scale to different survey items were collected and compared between two study cohorts: Keeping Neighbors In Good Health Through Service (KNIGHTS) Clinic volunteers and non-volunteers. Results from 128 students showed no significant differences in the means between the two cohorts (p-values were not significant). When volunteers were asked the survey item, "KNIGHTS Clinic positively influenced my attitude towards working with underserved patients," 62% strongly agreed, 26% agreed, 10% were neutral, and 2% disagreed. Based on the results, volunteering at KNIGHTS Clinic may not have a positive impact on the five variables of interest. However, the lack of significance may also be due to certain limitations of this study addressed elsewhere in this paper. With the majority of KNIGHTS Clinic volunteers agreeing that "KNIGHTS Clinic positively influenced […their] attitude towards working with underserved patients," there may be a positive impact of volunteering on volunteers' attitude towards working with the underserved.

The efficacy of a volunteer-administered cognitive stimulation program in long-term care homes.

PubMed

van Zon, Lorraine; Kirby, John R; Anderson, Nicole

2016-06-01

Cognitive impairment (CI) that arises in some older adults limits independence and decreases quality of life. Cognitive stimulation programs delivered by professional therapists have been shown to help maintain cognitive abilities, but the costs of such programming are prohibitive. The present study explored the feasibility and efficacy of using long-term care homes' volunteers to administer a cognitive stimulation program to residents. Thirty-six resident participants and 16 volunteers were alternately assigned to one of two parallel groups: a control group (CG) or stimulation group (SG). For eight weeks, three times each week, CG participants met for standard "friendly visits" (casual conversation between a resident and volunteer) and SG participants met to work through a variety of exercises to stimulate residents' reasoning, attention, and memory abilities. Resident participants were pre- and post-tested using the Weschler Abbreviated Scale of Intelligence-Second Edition, Test of Memory, and Learning-Senior Edition, a modified Letter Sorting test (LS), Clock Drawing Test (CDT), and the Action Word Verbal Fluency Test. Two-way analyses of covariance (ANCOVA) controlling for dementia diagnosis indicated statistically greater improvements in the stimulation participants than in the control participants in Immediate Verbal Memory, p = 0.011; Non-Verbal Memory, p = 0.012; Learning, p = 0.016; and Verbal Fluency, p = 0.024. The feasibility and efficiency of a volunteer-administered cognitive stimulation program was demonstrated. Longitudinal studies with larger sample sizes are recommended in order to continue investigating the breadth and depth volunteer roles in the maintenance of the cognitive abilities of older adults.

The Effect of Medical Student Volunteering in a Student-Run Clinic on Specialty Choice for Residency

PubMed Central

Ismail, Rahim; Gookin, Glenn; Hernandez, Caridad; Logan, Grace; Pasarica, Magdalena

2017-01-01

Introduction: Student-run free clinics (SRFCs) are a recent popular addition to medical school education, and a subset of studies has looked at the influence of SRFC volunteering on the medical student’s career development. The majority of the research done in this area has focused on understanding if these SRFCs produce physicians who are more likely to practice medicine in underserved communities, caring for the uninsured. The remainder of the research has investigated if volunteering in an SRFC influences the specialty choice of medical school students. The results of these specialty choice studies give no definitive answer as to whether medical students chose primary or specialty care residencies as a result of their SRFC experience. Keeping Neighbors in Good Health through Service (KNIGHTS) is the SRFC of the University of Central Florida College of Medicine (UCF COM). Both primary and specialty care is offered at the clinic. It is the goal of this study to determine if volunteering in the KNIGHTS SRFC influences UCF COM medical students to choose primary care, thereby helping to meet the rising need for primary care physicians in the United States. Methods: A survey was distributed to first, second, and third-year medical students at the UCF COM to collect data on demographics, prior volunteering experience, and specialty choice for residency. Responses were then combined with records of volunteer hours from the KNIGHTS Clinic and analyzed for correlations. We analyzed the frequency and Pearson’s chi-squared values. A p value of less than 0.05 was considered statistically significant. Results: Our survey had a total response rate of 39.8%. We found that neither the act of becoming a KNIGHTS Clinic volunteer nor the hours volunteered at the KNIGHTS Clinic influenced the UCF COM student’s choice to enter a primary care specialty (p = NS). Additionally, prior volunteering/clinical experience or the gender of the medical school student did not influence

Motivations, Death Anxiety, and Empathy in Hospice Volunteers in France.

PubMed

Garbay, Meriem; Gay, Marie-Claire; Claxton-Oldfield, Stephen

2015-08-01

This study examined the motivations for volunteering of hospice volunteers in France. In addition, their levels of death anxiety and empathy were measured and compared with those of French non-hospice volunteers and non-volunteers. Three questionnaires-the Inventory of Motivations for Hospice Palliative Care Volunteerism (IMHPCV), the Templer/McMordie Death Anxiety Scale, and the Interpersonal Reactivity Index-were sent via an Internet link to 2 hospice volunteer associations and to non-hospice volunteers and non-volunteers (only the hospice volunteers received the IMHPCV). Altruistic motives had the most influence on the respondents' decision to become a hospice volunteer. French hospice volunteers scored significantly lower on 3 categories of motives on the IMHPCV compared to a sample of Canadian hospice palliative care volunteers (study 2), suggesting that cultural differences may be involved. No significant differences were found in levels of death anxiety or empathy between the 3 groups of respondents of the study. © The Author(s) 2014.

Shifting management of a community volunteer system for improved child health outcomes: results from an operations research study in Burundi.

PubMed

Weiss, Jennifer; Makonnen, Raphael; Sula, Delphin

2015-01-01

Community-based strategies that foster frequent contact between caregivers of children under five and provide credible sources of health information are essential to improve child survival. Care Groups are a community-based implementation strategy for the delivery of social and behavior change interventions. This study assessed if supervision of Care Group activities by Ministry of Health (MOH) personnel could achieve the same child health outcomes as supervision provided by specialized non-governmental organization (NGO) staff. The study was a pretest-posttest quasi-experimental design implemented in Burundi. A total of 45 MOH-led Care Groups with 478 Care Group Volunteers (CGVs) were established in the intervention area; and 50 NGO-led Care Groups with 509 CGVs were formed in the comparison area. Data were collected from 593 and 700 mothers of children 0-23 months at baseline and endline, respectively. Pearson's chi-squared test and difference-in-difference analysis assessed changes in 40 child health and nutrition outcomes. A qualitative process evaluation was also conducted midway through the study. The MOH-led Care Group model performed at least as well as the NGO-led model in achieving specific child health and nutrition outcomes. Mothers of children 0-23 months in the intervention and comparison sites reported similar levels of knowledge and practices for 38 of 40 dependent variables measured in the study, and these results remained unchanged after accounting for differences in the indicator values at baseline. Process monitoring data confirmed that the MOH-led Care Group model and the NGO-led Care Group model were implemented with similar intervention strength. The study demonstrated that behavior change interventions traditionally led by NGOs can be implemented through the existing MOH systems and achieve similar results, thereby increasing the potential for sustainable child health outcomes. Future research on the MOH-led Care Group model is required to

The Role of Health Volunteers in Training Women Regarding Coping Strategies Using Self-Efficacy Theory: Barriers and Challenges Faced by Health Volunteers in Empowerment of Women

PubMed Central

Kaveh, Mohammad Hossein; Rokhbin, Moslem; Mani, Arash; Maghsoudi, Ahmad

2017-01-01

Introduction: Psychological distress is among physical and mental health threats, and health volunteers can play a critical role in empowerment of women. However, evidence has revealed a decline in health volunteers’ activities. Therefore, the present study aimed to investigate the challenges faced by health volunteers in empowerment of women. Methods: The participants’ knowledge level was assessed using a written test. Their perceived skills were also measured using Coping Inventory for Stressful Situations by Endler and Parker and Chesney’s Coping Self-efficacy Scale, respectively. The study data were entered into the SPSS statistical software, version 11.5 and were analyzed using chi-square, sample t-test, and Pearson’s correlation coefficient. Results: The results showed a considerable increase in the intervention group health volunteers’ knowledge about stress, as well as their self-efficacy. Besides, a significant correlation was observed between self-efficacy and task-oriented strategy scores. However, no significant increase was found in this group’s coping strategies. The results also indicated a significant increase in the intervention group women’s knowledge about stress, but no significant change was observed in other constructs. Some challenging factors, such as managerial, personal, and interpersonal factors, were also detected that might have affected the results. Discussion: This study caused no considerable change in coping with stress, except for increasing the women’s knowledge in this regard. Considering the challenges identified in this study, programs should be developed for researchers and health center managers to improve this condition in future. PMID:28951067

The Role of Health Volunteers in Training Women Regarding Coping Strategies Using Self-Efficacy Theory: Barriers and Challenges Faced by Health Volunteers in Empowerment of Women

PubMed

Kaveh, Mohammad Hossein; Rokhbin, Moslem; Mani, Arash; Maghsoudi, Ahmad

2017-09-27

Introduction: Psychological distress is among physical and mental health threats, and health volunteers can play a critical role in empowerment of women. However, evidence has revealed a decline in health volunteers’ activities. Therefore, the present study aimed to investigate the challenges faced by health volunteers in empowerment of women. Methods: The participants’ knowledge level was assessed using a written test. Their perceived skills were also measured using Coping Inventory for Stressful Situations by Endler and Parker and Chesney’s Coping Self-efficacy Scale, respectively. The study data were entered into the SPSS statistical software, version 11.5 and were analyzed using chi-square, sample t-test, and Pearson’s correlation coefficient. Results: The results showed a considerable increase in the intervention group health volunteers’ knowledge about stress, as well as their self-efficacy. Besides, a significant correlation was observed between self-efficacy and task-oriented strategy scores. However, no significant increase was found in this group’s coping strategies. The results also indicated a significant increase in the intervention group women’s knowledge about stress, but no significant change was observed in other constructs. Some challenging factors, such as managerial, personal, and interpersonal factors, were also detected that might have affected the results. Discussion: This study caused no considerable change in coping with stress, except for increasing the women’s knowledge in this regard. Considering the challenges identified in this study, programs should be developed for researchers and health center managers to improve this condition in future. Creative Commons Attribution License

[Development and evaluation of an educational program for promotion of healthy nutrition and physical activity by health volunteers].

PubMed

Yamaguchi, Yukio; Kai, Yuko; Kumamoto, Hiroko

2009-12-01

The purpose of the present trial was to develop and evaluate an educational program for promotion of healthy nutrition and physical activity by health volunteers. The educational program consisted of the following four phases: preliminary self-learning by mail (3 weeks), basic learning (3 sessions of 3 hours), practice of planned activities (2 months), and a report session (1 session of 3 hours). Beginner volunteers (n=18, mean age 63.3 +/- 6.4) were recruited from two volunteer health organizations in Kurume city. They then participated in a program that taught basic health knowledge regarding nutrition and physical activity, how to plan effective support activities, and methods for self-evaluation. In the preliminary self-learning phase, an assessment sheet, health information, and homework (goal setting, etc.) were delivered to the volunteers by mail. In the basic learning phase, volunteers attended a 3 day seminar on essential principles for behavioral change and assessment methods for volunteer activity. In addition, effective support activities were planned through group discussion. After a 2-month practice of support activities, each group reported and discussed the results of their activity in a 3-hour report session. Main outcome measures were health knowledge (15 items, 0-1 points), self-efficacy for life style support (5 items, 0-100%), and evaluation of the educational program (9 items, 1-5 points). All measures were self-administered. Significant increases in rate of true answers for health knowledge were observed during the preliminary self-learning and before basic learning phases (54.8% --> 67.1%, P < 0.05), and before and after basic learning phases (67.1% --> 87.6%, P < 0.05). Self-efficacy for life style support were significantly higher after the report session than before the preliminary self-learning phase (35.1% --> 53.1%, P < 0.05). In the two-month practice, all groups received feedback through questionnaires completed by participants who

A Physician’s Perspective on Volunteering Overseas… It Is Not All about Sharing the Latest Technology

PubMed Central

Kolkin, Jon

2018-01-01

As health-care professionals, there often comes a time in our career when we are intrigued by the possibility of participating in humanitarian work in underserved countries. However, the desire to serve is often tempered by some ambivalence about whether our skill sets are applicable in less technologically advanced health-care settings. Furthermore, there may be some concern about the cultural and logistical challenges one might face while working overseas. A volunteer may also be worried that, despite their best intentions, the medical personnel in the host country will not take advantage of our knowledge and their patients will not achieve the best results. As a consequence, a talented and well-intentioned professional may decide not to volunteer, resulting in a lost opportunity to participate in what can be an extremely rewarding experience. I will be discussing a number of key factors that can strongly influence the quality of one’s experience from the perspective of a Hand Specialist. My comments will primarily be a reflection of my personal experience over 20 years as a member of Health Volunteers Overseas (www.hvousa.org). PMID:29457003

Aids for Health and Home Extension Volunteers. Appropriate Technologies for Development. Reprint R-3.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Peace Corps, Washington, DC. Information Collection and Exchange Div.

This book contains various aids for Peace Corps home extension volunteers. Section I, "Culture Resource Material," contains four articles by Paul Benjamin: (1) "Values in American Culture"; (2) "The Cultural Context of Health Education"; (3) "Problems of Introducing Public Health Programs in 'Underdeveloped…

Factors Associated With Volunteering Among Racial/Ethnic Groups: Findings From the California Health Interview Survey.

PubMed

Johnson, Kimberly J; Lee, S Hannah

2017-06-01

The present study investigated how volunteering was influenced by individual resources and social capital among four racial/ethnic groups of adults aged 50 and older. The data came from the California Health Interview Survey, a statewide sample that includes non-Hispanic Whites ( n = 18,927), non-Hispanic Asians ( n = 2,428), non-Hispanic Blacks ( n = 1,265), and Hispanics ( n = 3,799). Logistic regression models of volunteering were estimated to explore the effects of human and social capital within and across the racial/ethnic groups. Compared to Whites, racial/ethnic minority adults volunteered less. Although education was a significant predictor of volunteering across all groups, the findings indicated group-specific factors related to human and social capital. Results showed similarities and differences associated with volunteer participation among diverse racial/ethnic groups. The findings underscore the importance of understanding ways of creating inclusive opportunities for civic engagement among an increasingly diverse population.

Volunteer dynamics of older Americans.

PubMed

Butrica, Barbara A; Johnson, Richard W; Zedlewski, Sheila R

2009-09-01

The impending retirement of boomers has spurred interest in tapping their productive energies to benefit society. This study examined volunteer transitions among older adults to understand the factors that affect volunteer dynamics. Using data from the Health and Retirement Study, the analysis examined entries into and exits from formal volunteer activities between 1996 and 2004 by adults aged 55-65 at study baseline. The study showed the duration of volunteer activities, the probability that older adults start and stop volunteering, and the factors that significantly predict volunteer transitions. The findings reveal considerable stability among both volunteers and nonvolunteers; however, older adults are more likely to stop volunteering than to start. Volunteers who contribute intensely and for many years and who are married to volunteers are the least likely to quit. And nonvolunteers are more likely to start volunteering if they have been uninvolved for few years and their spouses volunteer. The results point to the need to focus efforts on retaining older volunteers to maximize volunteer engagement during later years. Recruiting older adults in volunteer activities early on, ideally before they retire, could also help meet volunteer needs.

Australian eldercare providers: comparing volunteers and temporary staff on work environment, interpersonal relationships, and self-efficacy.

PubMed

Ferrari, Joseph R

2004-12-01

Volunteers (n = 52) and temporary employees (n = 49) at a nonprofit, health care program for the elderly in Australia completed measures on community self-efficacy, sense of community, and caregiver satisfaction and stress. Results indicated that both samples of respondents experienced a relatively strong sense of common mission to help the elderly, but volunteers, compared to employees, reported stronger self-efficacy about making a difference in their community. Volunteers, in comparison to temporary (or casual, the preferred term in Australia) employees, also reported a stronger sense of reciprocal responsibility to help their peers but stronger disharmony among members. Employees compared to volunteers reported greater satisfaction as a caregiver. Implications suggest marked differences in experiences of eldercare among volunteer and temporary employees working with the elderly.

Volunteer Watershed Health Monitoring by Local Stakeholders: New Mexico Watershed Watch

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Fleming, William

2003-01-01

Volunteers monitor watershed health in more than 700 programs in the US, involving over 400,000 local stakeholders. New Mexico Watershed Watch is a student-based watershed monitoring program sponsored by the state's Department of Game and Fish which provides high school teachers and students with instruction on methods for water quality…

Management of acute respiratory infections by community health volunteers: experience of Bangladesh Rural Advancement Committee (BRAC).

PubMed Central

Hadi, Abdullahel

2003-01-01

OBJECTIVE: To assess the role of management practices for acute respiratory infections (ARIs) in improving the competency of community health volunteers in diagnosing and treating acute respiratory infections among children. METHODS: Data were collected by a group of research physicians who observed the performance of a sample of 120 health volunteers in 10 sub-districts in Bangladesh in which Bangladesh Rural Advancement Committee (BRAC) had run a community-based ARI control programme since mid-1992. Standardized tests were conducted until the 95% interphysician reliability on the observation of clinical examination was achieved. FINDINGS:The sensitivity, specificity, and overall agreement rates in diagnosing and treating ARIs were significantly higher among the health volunteers who had basic training and were supervised routinely than among those who had not. CONCLUSION: Diagnosis and treatment of ARIs at the household level in developing countries are possible if intensive basic training and the close supervision of service providers are ensured. PMID:12764514

Interprofessional education in aged-care facilities: Tensions and opportunities among undergraduate health student cohorts.

PubMed

Annear, Michael; Walker, Kim; Lucas, Peter; Lo, Amanda; Robinson, Andrew

2016-09-01

This article examines the reflective discourses of medical, nursing, and paramedic students participating in interprofessional education (IPE) activities in the context of aged-care clinical placements. The intent of the research is to explore how students engage with their interprofessional colleagues in an IPE assessment and care planning activity and elucidate how students configure their role as learners within the context of a non-traditional aged-care training environment. Research participants included cohorts of volunteer medical (n = 61), nursing (n = 46), and paramedic (n = 20) students who were on clinical placements at two large teaching aged-care facilities in Tasmania, Australia, over a period of 18 months. A total of 39 facilitated focus group discussions were undertaken with cohorts of undergraduate student volunteers from three health professions between February 2013 and October 2014. Thematic analysis of focus group transcripts was assisted by NVIVO software and verified through secondary coding and member checking procedures. With an acceptable level of agreement across two independent coders, four themes were identified from student focus group transcripts that described the IPE relations and perceptions of the aged-care environment. Emergent themes included reinforcement of professional hierarchies, IPE in aged care perceived as mundane and extraneous, opportunities for reciprocal teaching and learning, and understanding interprofessional roles. While not all students can be engaged with IPE activities in aged care, our evidence suggests that within 1 week of clinical placements there is a possibility to develop reciprocal professional relations, affirm a positive identity within a collaborative healthcare team, and support the health of vulnerable older adults with complex care needs. These important clinical learnings support aged-care-based IPE as a potentially powerful context for undergraduate learning in the 21st Century.

Prepaid financing of primary health care in Guinea-Bissau: an assessment of 18 village health posts.

PubMed

Stavem, K; Eklund, P

1995-01-01

African governments are generally plagued with inadequate public health care systems, rapid population growth, low or negative economic growth rates, and shrinking government budgets. How to finance the expansion of health care and improve the quality of services in such a context is one of the most important issues they face. In Guinea-Bissau, the village health post is the most peripheral unit in the health care provider system, offering simple treatments and basic drugs. The system of care at that level is based upon community participation. Villagers provide the necessary materials and labor to build a standard two-room health post, and the government donates materials for windows, door, and hinges, plus simple equipment and an initial stock of drugs estimated to last for six months. The community collects funds to ensure that the initial drug supply is continuously replenished. One or more community members are selected and trained as volunteer village health workers (VHWs) or traditional birth attendants (TBA) in basic training which lasts 15 days, followed by annual 5-day refresher courses. VHWs are educated to treat malaria, diarrhea, conjunctivitis, cough, pain, and wounds, while TBAs are taught how to provide control and prophylaxis during pregnancy, and help in normal child deliveries. By early 1989, 449 units had been established, covering 20-25% of the population, but with large regional variation. This paper reports findings from a three-week field survey conducted in 1989 to gather information on this approach and its potential to mobilize additional resources for the health sector.

Development of a hospital reiki training program: training volunteers to provide reiki to patients, families, and staff in the acute care setting.

PubMed

Hahn, Julie; Reilly, Patricia M; Buchanan, Teresa M

2014-01-01

Creating a healing and healthy environment for patients, families, and staff is an ongoing challenge. As part of our hospital's Integrative Care Program, a Reiki Volunteer Program has helped to foster a caring and healing environment, providing a means for patients, family, and staff to reduce pain and anxiety and improve their ability to relax and be present. Because direct care providers manage multiple and competing needs at any given time, they may not be available to provide Reiki when it is needed. This program demonstrates that a volunteer-based program can successfully support nurses in meeting patient, family, and staff demand for Reiki services.

Understanding the motivation and performance of community health volunteers involved in the delivery of health programmes in Kampala, Uganda: a realist evaluation protocol.

PubMed

Vareilles, Gaëlle; Pommier, Jeanine; Kane, Sumit; Pictet, Gabriel; Marchal, Bruno

2015-01-28

The recruitment of community health volunteers to support the delivery of health programmes is a well-established approach in many countries, particularly where health services are not readily available. However, studies on management of volunteers are scarce and current research on human resource management of volunteers faces methodological challenges. This paper presents the protocol of a realist evaluation that aims at identifying the factors influencing the performance of community health volunteers involved in the delivery of a Red Cross immunisation programme in Kampala (Uganda) with a specific focus on motivation. The realist evaluation cycle structures the protocol. To develop the theoretical basis for the evaluation, the authors conducted interviews and reviewed the literature on community health volunteers' performance, management and organisational behaviour. This led to the formulation of the initial programme theory, which links the intervention inputs (capacity-building strategies) to the expected outcomes (positive work behaviour) with mechanisms that point in the direction of drivers of motivation. The contextual elements include components such as organisational culture, resource availability, etc. A case study design will be adopted. We define a case as a Red Cross branch, run by a programme manager, and will select two cases at the district level in Kampala. Mixed methods will be used in data collection, including individual interviews of volunteers, participant observation and document review. The thematic analysis will be based on the initial programme theory and will seek for context-mechanism-outcome configurations. Findings from the two cases will be compared. We discuss the scope for applying realist evaluation and the methodological challenges we encountered in developing this protocol. The study was approved by the Ethical Committee at Rennes University Hospital, France. Results will be published in scientific journals, and communicated

Because They Care: A Resource Manual for Volunteer Programs.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Illinois State Office of Education, Springfield.

Beginning in 1973, meetings of 12 regional education advisory councils (composed of students, teachers, parents, administrators, board members, superintendents, and other citizens) studied volunteer programs in Illinois to determine their drawbacks and to formulate recommendations for expanding the concept of volunteers in education. This…

The health care response to pandemic influenza.

PubMed

Barnitz, Laura; Berkwits, Michael

2006-07-18

The threat of an H5N1 influenza virus (avian flu) pandemic is substantial. The success of the current U.S. influenza pandemic response plan depends on effective coordination among state and local public health authorities and individual health care providers. This article is a summary of a public policy paper developed by the American College of Physicians to address issues in the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Pandemic Influenza Plan that involve physicians. The College's positions call for the following: 1) development of local public health task forces that include physicians representing all specialties and practice settings; 2) physician access to 2-way communication with public health authorities and to information technology tools for diagnosis and syndrome surveillance; 3) clear identification and authorization of agencies to process licensing and registration of volunteer physicians; 4) clear guidelines for overriding standard procedures for confidentiality and consent in the interest of the public's health; 5) clear and fair infection control measures that do not create barriers to care; 6) analysis of and solutions to current problems with seasonal influenza vaccination programs as a way of developing a maximally efficient pandemic flu vaccine program; 7) federal funding to provide pandemic flu vaccine for the entire U.S. population and antiviral drugs for 25% of the population; and 8) planning for health care in alternative, nonhospital settings to prevent a surge in demand for hospital care that exceeds supply. *This paper is an abridged version of a full-text position paper (available at http://www.acponline.org/college/pressroom/as06/pandemic_policy.pdf) written by Laura Barnitz, BJ, MA, and updated and adapted for publication in Annals of Internal Medicine by Michael Berkwits, MD, MSCE. The original position paper was developed for the Health and Public Policy Committee of the American College of Physicians: Jeffrey P. Harris, MD

Volunteerism or Labor Exploitation? Harnessing the Volunteer Spirit to Sustain AIDS Treatment Programs in Urban Ethiopia

PubMed Central

Maes, Kenneth

2013-01-01

Based on ethnographic research in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, this paper describes NGO efforts to encourage AIDS care volunteers to eschew material returns for their labor and instead reflect on the goodness of sacrificing to promote the survival of people living with HIV/AIDS. Consensus analysis of motivational survey data collected from a sample of AIDS care volunteers (n=110) suggests that they strongly share a sacrificial and prosocial motivational model. These results may be explained by several factors, including the efforts of the organizations to shape volunteers’ motivations, the self-selection of volunteers, positive reinforcement in seeing one’s patients become healthy, and social desirability bias. In-depth interviews examining the motivations and behaviors of volunteers reveal a more complicated picture: even ostensibly devoted and altruistic volunteers strongly question their service commitments. The complexity and ambivalence of volunteers’ motivations reflect the profound uncertainty that they face in achieving improved socioeconomic status for themselves and their families amid widespread unemployment and sharply rising food prices. Their desires for economic opportunities explain why local NGOs exert so much effort to shape and sustain—and yet fail to completely control—their motivations. This recasts economically-insecure volunteers’ consent to donate their labor as a process of negotiation with their organizers. Future research should explore how models of health care volunteerism and volunteer motivations are shaped by individual and collective experiences in political-economic context. PMID:24077802

Understanding the motivation and performance of community health volunteers involved in the delivery of health programmes in Kampala, Uganda: a realist evaluation protocol

PubMed Central

Vareilles, Gaëlle; Pommier, Jeanine; Kane, Sumit; Pictet, Gabriel; Marchal, Bruno

2015-01-01

Introduction The recruitment of community health volunteers to support the delivery of health programmes is a well-established approach in many countries, particularly where health services are not readily available. However, studies on management of volunteers are scarce and current research on human resource management of volunteers faces methodological challenges. This paper presents the protocol of a realist evaluation that aims at identifying the factors influencing the performance of community health volunteers involved in the delivery of a Red Cross immunisation programme in Kampala (Uganda) with a specific focus on motivation. Methods and analysis The realist evaluation cycle structures the protocol. To develop the theoretical basis for the evaluation, the authors conducted interviews and reviewed the literature on community health volunteers’ performance, management and organisational behaviour. This led to the formulation of the initial programme theory, which links the intervention inputs (capacity-building strategies) to the expected outcomes (positive work behaviour) with mechanisms that point in the direction of drivers of motivation. The contextual elements include components such as organisational culture, resource availability, etc. A case study design will be adopted. We define a case as a Red Cross branch, run by a programme manager, and will select two cases at the district level in Kampala. Mixed methods will be used in data collection, including individual interviews of volunteers, participant observation and document review. The thematic analysis will be based on the initial programme theory and will seek for context-mechanism-outcome configurations. Findings from the two cases will be compared. Discussion We discuss the scope for applying realist evaluation and the methodological challenges we encountered in developing this protocol. Ethics and dissemination The study was approved by the Ethical Committee at Rennes University Hospital

[Dignity in the care of terminal ill and dying patients. Definitions and supportive interventions in palliative care].

PubMed

Mehnert, A; Schröder, A S; Puhlmann, K; Müllerleile, U; Koch, U

2006-11-01

Most patients, family members, health care professional as well as volunteers would agree that dignified care and being allowed to die with dignity are superior and unquestionable goals of palliative care. Although the majority of people have a more or less vague concept of dignity and despite its significance for palliative care, only a few empirical approaches to describe the sense of dignity from patients' and health care professionals' perspectives have been undertaken. However, individual descriptions of the dignity concept and definitions can serve as an impetus to improve the current palliative care practice by the development and evaluation of psychotherapeutic interventions for patients near the end of life and the allocation of resources. This article considers an internationally developed empirical-based model of dignity in severe and terminal ill patients by Chochinov et al. Furthermore, it illustrates the understanding of dignity as well as self-perceived exertions of influence on a patient's dignity from the perspective of health care professionals and volunteers. Psychotherapeutic interventions and strategies are introduced that can help conserve the sense of dignity of patients during palliative care.

Caregiving, volunteering or both? Comparing effects on health and mortality using census-based records from almost 250,000 people aged 65 and over.

PubMed

O'Reilly, Dermot; Rosato, Michael; Ferry, Finola; Moriarty, John; Leavy, Gerard

2017-09-01

the health impacts of caregiving and volunteering are rarely studied concurrently, despite the potential for both synergies and conflicts. This population-based study examines the association of these activities on health and subsequent mortality. a census-based record-linkage study of 244,429 people aged 65 and over, with cohort characteristics, caregiving and volunteering status, and presence of chronic health conditions derived from the Census returns. Mortality risk was assessed over the following 45 months with adjustment for baseline characteristics. caregivers and volunteers were individually more mobile than those undertaking neither activity; caregivers who also volunteered were more mobile than those who did not volunteer, but no less likely to suffer from poor mental health. Both caregiving and volunteering were separately associated with reduced mortality risk (HR = 0.74: 95% confidence intervals (CIs) = 0.71, 0.77 and HR = 0.76: 0.73, 0.81, respectively); the lowest mortality was found amongst light caregivers who also volunteered (HR = 0.53: 95% CIs = 0.45, 0.62), compared to those engaged in neither. There was no evidence of a multiplicative effect of caregiving and volunteering at more intense levels of caregiving. there is a large overlap in caregiving and volunteering activities with complex associations with health status. There is some evidence that combining caregiving and volunteering activities, for those involved in less intense levels of caregiving, maybe associated with lower mortality risk than associated with either activity alone. Further research is needed to understand which aspects of caregiving and volunteering are best and for whom and in which circumstances. © The Author 2017. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of the British Geriatrics Society.All rights reserved. For permissions, please email: journals.permissions@oup.com

Evaluation of the Effectiveness of a First Aid Health Volunteers' Training Programme Using Kirkpatrick's Model: A Pilot Study

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Vizeshfar, Fatemeh; Momennasab, Marzieh; Yektatalab, Shahrzad; Iman, Mohamad Taghi

2018-01-01

Objective: This study aimed to evaluate the effectiveness of a health volunteers' complementary training programme on first aid. Design: Quasi-experimental study. Setting: A comprehensive health centre in the southwest of Iran. Method: The study was conducted in the second half of 2015 with all 25 health volunteers in the Qamar Bani Hashem…

45 CFR 57.3 - Volunteer service programs.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-10-01

... 45 Public Welfare 1 2010-10-01 2010-10-01 false Volunteer service programs. 57.3 Section 57.3 Public Welfare DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES GENERAL ADMINISTRATION VOLUNTEER SERVICES § 57.3 Volunteer service programs. Programs for the use of volunteer services may be established by the Secretary...

45 CFR 57.3 - Volunteer service programs.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-10-01

... 45 Public Welfare 1 2011-10-01 2011-10-01 false Volunteer service programs. 57.3 Section 57.3 Public Welfare DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES GENERAL ADMINISTRATION VOLUNTEER SERVICES § 57.3 Volunteer service programs. Programs for the use of volunteer services may be established by the Secretary...

45 CFR 57.3 - Volunteer service programs.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

2013-10-01

... 45 Public Welfare 1 2013-10-01 2013-10-01 false Volunteer service programs. 57.3 Section 57.3 Public Welfare DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES GENERAL ADMINISTRATION VOLUNTEER SERVICES § 57.3 Volunteer service programs. Programs for the use of volunteer services may be established by the Secretary...

45 CFR 57.3 - Volunteer service programs.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

2012-10-01

... 45 Public Welfare 1 2012-10-01 2012-10-01 false Volunteer service programs. 57.3 Section 57.3 Public Welfare DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES GENERAL ADMINISTRATION VOLUNTEER SERVICES § 57.3 Volunteer service programs. Programs for the use of volunteer services may be established by the Secretary...

45 CFR 57.3 - Volunteer service programs.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

2014-10-01

... 45 Public Welfare 1 2014-10-01 2014-10-01 false Volunteer service programs. 57.3 Section 57.3 Public Welfare Department of Health and Human Services GENERAL ADMINISTRATION VOLUNTEER SERVICES § 57.3 Volunteer service programs. Programs for the use of volunteer services may be established by the Secretary...

Environmental volunteer well-being: Managers' perception and actual well-being of volunteers.

PubMed

Kragh, Gitte; Stafford, Rick; Curtin, Susanna; Diaz, Anita

2016-01-01

Background : Environmental volunteering can increase well-being, but environmental volunteer well-being has rarely been compared to participant well-being associated with other types of volunteering or nature-based activities. This paper aims to use a multidimensional approach to well-being to explore the immediately experienced and later remembered well-being of environmental volunteers and to compare this to the increased well-being of participants in other types of nature-based activities and volunteering. Furthermore, it aims to compare volunteer managers' perceptions of their volunteers' well-being with the self-reported well-being of the volunteers. Methods : Onsite surveys were conducted of practical conservation and biodiversity monitoring volunteers, as well as their control groups (walkers and fieldwork students, respectively), to measure general well-being before their nature-based activity and activity-related well-being immediately after their activity. Online surveys of current, former and potential volunteers and volunteer managers measured remembered volunteering-related well-being and managers' perceptions of their volunteers' well-being. Data were analysed based on Seligman's multidimensional PERMA ('positive emotion', 'engagement', 'positive relationship', 'meaning', 'achievement') model of well-being. Factor analysis recovered three of the five PERMA elements, 'engagement', 'relationship' and 'meaning', as well as 'negative emotion' and 'health' as factors. Results : Environmental volunteering significantly improved positive elements and significantly decreased negative elements of participants' immediate well-being, and it did so more than walking or student fieldwork. Even remembering their volunteering up to six months later, volunteers rated their volunteering-related well-being higher than volunteers rated their well-being generally in life. However, volunteering was not found to have an effect on overall mean well-being generally in life

Consumer-directed health care: implications for health care organizations and managers.

PubMed

Guo, Kristina L

2010-01-01

This article uses a pyramid model to illustrate the key components of consumer-directed health care. Consumer-directed health care is considered the essential strategy needed to lower health care costs and is valuable for making significant strides in health care reform. Consumer-directed health care presents new challenges and opportunities for all health care stakeholders and their managers. The viability of the health system depends on the success of managers to respond rapidly and with precision to changes in the system; thus, new and modified roles of managers are necessary to successfully sustain consumerism efforts to control costs while maintaining access and quality.

New method for determination of efficacy of health care personnel hand wash products.

PubMed Central

Mahl, M C

1989-01-01

A method of studying the effects of health care personnel hand wash products is described. The fingernail regions of the hands of volunteers are inoculated with a mixture of Escherichia coli and Serratia marcescens, and the areas are dried for a standard time. After routine hand washing, each fingernail region is individually scrubbed with an electric toothbrush which moves longitudinally to the handle into collection fluid contained in a petri dish. The test bacteria in the fluid are then enumerated. (Bacillus subtilis spores may be included as tracers to show degree of physical removal of the procedure.) This method has several advantages over the frequently used glove juice technique. Experimental designs with large numbers of volunteers, multiple sampling sites, and many hand wash products may be performed. Ten sampling sites (fingers) are available, versus the two gloved hands for testing products. (Efficiency is almost 100% in the recovery of spore tracers placed on the fingernails.) Many commercial health care personnel hand wash products containing antimicrobial agents substantive to the skin do not rapidly reduce numbers of inoculated bacteria in the fingernail regions to any greater extent than nonantimicrobial hand washes. Products containing isopropanol or ethanol are very effective in decreasing bacteria in areas around and under the fingernails. PMID:2685028

Reforming the health care system: implications for health care marketers.

PubMed

Petrochuk, M A; Javalgi, R G

1996-01-01

Health care reform has become the dominant domestic policy issue in the United States. President Clinton, and the Democratic leaders in the House and Senate have all proposed legislation to reform the system. Regardless of the plan which is ultimately enacted, health care delivery will be radically changed. Health care marketers, given their perspective, have a unique opportunity to ensure their own institutions' success. Organizational, managerial, and marketing strategies can be employed to deal with the changes which will occur. Marketers can utilize personal strategies to remain proactive and successful during an era of health care reform. As outlined in this article, responding to the health care reform changes requires strategic urgency and action. However, the strategies proposed are practical regardless of the version of health care reform legislation which is ultimately enacted.

How trained volunteers can improve the quality of hospital care for older patients. A qualitative evaluation within the Hospital Elder Life Program (HELP).

PubMed

Steunenberg, Bas; van der Mast, Roos; Strijbos, Marije J; Inouye, Sharon K; Schuurmans, Marieke J

The aim of this study was to investigate, using a mixed-methods design, the added value of a trained Hospital Elder Life Program (HELP) volunteer to the quality of hospital care in the Netherlands. The trained volunteers daily stimulate older patients, at risk of a delirium, to eat, to drink, and to exercise, and they provide walking assistance and cognitive stimulation. This study showed that each group appreciated the extra attention and service from the volunteers. The positive effect on feelings of loneliness during the hospital stay was an unexpected outcome. The volunteers themselves appreciated their work. In conclusion, a HELP volunteer should be provided to every older hospital patient. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Comparing the auscultatory accuracy of health care professionals using three different brands of stethoscopes on a simulator

PubMed Central

Mehmood, Mansoor; Abu Grara, Hazem L; Stewart, Joshua S; Khasawneh, Faisal A

2014-01-01

Background It is considered standard practice to use disposable or patient-dedicated stethoscopes to prevent cross-contamination between patients in contact precautions and others in their vicinity. The literature offers very little information regarding the quality of currently used stethoscopes. This study assessed the fidelity with which acoustics were perceived by a broad range of health care professionals using three brands of stethoscopes. Methods This prospective study used a simulation center and volunteer health care professionals to test the sound quality offered by three brands of commonly used stethoscopes. The volunteer’s proficiency in identifying five basic ausculatory sounds (wheezing, stridor, crackles, holosystolic murmur, and hyperdynamic bowel sounds) was tested, as well. Results A total of 84 health care professionals (ten attending physicians, 35 resident physicians, and 39 intensive care unit [ICU] nurses) participated in the study. The higher-end stethoscope was more reliable than lower-end stethoscopes in facilitating the diagnosis of the auscultatory sounds, especially stridor and crackles. Our volunteers detected all tested sounds correctly in about 69% of cases. As expected, attending physicians performed the best, followed by resident physicians and subsequently ICU nurses. Neither years of experience nor background noise seemed to affect performance. Postgraduate training continues to offer very little to improve our trainees’ auscultation skills. Conclusion The results of this study indicate that using low-end stethoscopes to care for patients in contact precautions could compromise identifying important auscultatory findings. Furthermore, there continues to be an opportunity to improve our physicians and ICU nurses’ auscultation skills. PMID:25152636

Private health care.

PubMed

Uplekar, M W

2000-09-01

During the last decade there has been considerable international mobilisation around shrinking the role of States in health care. The World Bank reports that, in many low and middle-income countries, private sources of finance comprise the largest share of total national health expenditures. Private sector health care is ubiquitous, reaches throughout the population, preferred by the people and is significant from both economic as well as health perspective. Resources are limited, governments are weak, and a new approach is needed. This paper provides a broad overview and raises key issues with regard to private health care. The focus is on provision of health care by private medical providers. On the background of the world's common health problems and interventions available to tackle them, the place of private health care in the overall context is first discussed. The concept of privatisation within the various forms of health care systems is then explained. The paper then describes the genesis and key elements of rapidly enhancing role of the private sector in health care and points to the paucity of literature from low and middle-income countries. Common concerns about private health care are outlined. Two illustrative examples--tuberculosis, the top infectious killer among the poor and coronary heart disease, the top non-infectious killer among the rich--are presented to understand the current and possible role of private sector in provision of health care. Highlighting the need to distinguish between health care as a public good or a market commodity, the paper leaves it to the reader to draw conclusions.

Participatory support to farmers in improving safety and health at work: building WIND farmer volunteer networks in Viet Nam.

PubMed

Kawakami, Tsuyoshi; Van, Vhu Nhu; Theu, Nguyen Van; Khai, Ton That; Kogi, Kazutaka

2008-10-01

The government of Viet Nam places a high priority on upgrading the quality of farmers' lives. Providing adequate occupational safety and health (OSH) protection for all farmers is an important challenge. The Ministry of Labour, Invalids and Social Affairs (MOLISA) of Viet Nam trained WIND (Work Improvement in Neighbourhood Development) farmer volunteers. From 2004-2007, MOLISA in cooperation with ministries of health and agriculture trained 480 WIND farmer volunteers in selected 14 provinces. Trained farmer volunteers trained their neighbouring farmers and expanded their networks. The WIND training programme produced in Cantho, Viet Nam in 1996, was used as the core training methodology. The WIND action-checklist, good example photo-sheets, and other participatory training materials were designed for WIND farmer volunteers as practical training tools. The volunteers trained 7,922 farmers. The trained farmers implemented 28,508 improvements in materials handling, work posture, machine and electrical safety, working environments and control of hazardous chemicals, and welfare facilities. The provincial support committees organized follow-up workshops and strengthen the WIND farmer volunteer networks. The system of WIND farmer volunteers proved effective in extending practical OSH protection measures to farmers at grassroots level. The system of WIND farmer volunteers was adopted in the First National Programme on Labour Protection and OSH of Viet Nam as a practical means in OSH and is now further expanding within the framework of the National Programme.

Can volunteer companions prevent falls among inpatients? A feasibility study using a pre-post comparative design

PubMed Central

Giles, Lynne C; Bolch, Denise; Rouvray, Robyn; McErlean, Beth; Whitehead, Craig H; Phillips, Paddy A; Crotty, Maria

2006-01-01

Background Falls in hospital are frequent and their consequences place an increased burden on health services. We evaluated a falls prevention strategy consisting of the introduction of volunteers to 'sit' with patients identified as being at high risk of falling. Methods Two four bed 'safety bays' located on medical wards in two hospitals within southern Adelaide were used. Ward fall rates (expressed as falls per 1000 occupied bed days) were compared in the baseline period (February-May 2002) with the implementation period (February – May 2003) using incident rate ratios and 95% confidence intervals. The number of hours of volunteered time was also collected. Results No patient falls occurred on either site when volunteers were present. However, there was no significant impact on overall ward fall rates. In the baseline period, there were 70 falls in 4828 OBDs (14.5 falls per 1000 OBDs). During the implementation period, there were 82 falls in 5300 OBDs (15.5 falls per 1000 OBD). The IRR for falls in the implementation versus baseline period was 1.07 (95%CI 0.77 – 1.49; P = 0.346). Volunteers carried out care activities (e.g. cutting up food), provided company, and on occasions advocated on behalf of the patients. Volunteers donated 2345 hours, at an estimated value to the hospitals of almost $57,000. Conclusion Volunteers may play an important and cost-effective role in enhancing health care and can prevent falls in older hospital patients when they are present. Full implementation of this program would require the recruitment of adequate numbers of volunteers willing to sit with all patients considered at risk of falling in hospital. The challenge for future work in this area remains the sustainability of falls prevention strategies. PMID:16895609

Can volunteer companions prevent falls among inpatients? A feasibility study using a pre-post comparative design.

PubMed

Giles, Lynne C; Bolch, Denise; Rouvray, Robyn; McErlean, Beth; Whitehead, Craig H; Phillips, Paddy A; Crotty, Maria

2006-08-09

Falls in hospital are frequent and their consequences place an increased burden on health services. We evaluated a falls prevention strategy consisting of the introduction of volunteers to 'sit' with patients identified as being at high risk of falling. Two four bed 'safety bays' located on medical wards in two hospitals within southern Adelaide were used. Ward fall rates (expressed as falls per 1000 occupied bed days) were compared in the baseline period (February-May 2002) with the implementation period (February - May 2003) using incident rate ratios and 95% confidence intervals. The number of hours of volunteered time was also collected. No patient falls occurred on either site when volunteers were present. However, there was no significant impact on overall ward fall rates. In the baseline period, there were 70 falls in 4828 OBDs (14.5 falls per 1000 OBDs). During the implementation period, there were 82 falls in 5300 OBDs (15.5 falls per 1000 OBD). The IRR for falls in the implementation versus baseline period was 1.07 (95%CI 0.77 - 1.49; P = 0.346). Volunteers carried out care activities (e.g. cutting up food), provided company, and on occasions advocated on behalf of the patients. Volunteers donated 2345 hours, at an estimated value to the hospitals of almost $57,000. Volunteers may play an important and cost-effective role in enhancing health care and can prevent falls in older hospital patients when they are present. Full implementation of this program would require the recruitment of adequate numbers of volunteers willing to sit with all patients considered at risk of falling in hospital. The challenge for future work in this area remains the sustainability of falls prevention strategies.

Planning oral health and clinical discharge in primary care: the comprehensive dental care protocol outcome.

PubMed

Cavalcanti, Yuri Wanderley; Dantas de Almeida, Leopoldina de Fátima; Barbosa, Ailma de Souza; Nascimento Padilha, Wilton Wilney

2015-03-01

The dental care must be driven by preventive and curative measures that can contribute to the population's oral health promotion. To evaluate the impact of the actions proposed by a comprehensive dental care protocol (CDCP) on the oral health condition of primary care users. The sample consisted of 32 volunteers, assisted throughout the six phases proposed by the CDCP: diagnosis of dental needs; resolution of urgencies; restorative interventions; application of promotional measures; evaluation of the achieved health level; and periodic controls. Data were collected through clinical exams, which measured the simplified oral hygiene index (OHI-S), gingival bleeding index (GBI) and the decayed, missing and filled teeth (DMFT) Index, before and after the CDCP was implemented. Statistical analysis consisted of the Wilcoxon test, at 5% significance level (α = 0.05). The OHI-S and GBI indices showed a significant reduction (p < 0.05) from the initial (1.4 ± 0.6 and 46.3 ± 19.9) to final condition (0.9 ± 0.3 and 21.5 ± 7.5). The decayed, missing and filled teeth and the missing teeth component were not significantly altered (p > 0.05), showing final values equal to 12.7 ± 9.6 and 5.6 ± 7.8, respectively. Decayed elements were fully converted into filled elements, and the final values of the decayed and filled elements were, respectively, 0.0 ± 0.0 and 7.3 ± 5.7 (p < 0.05). The enactment of the CDCP had a beneficial effect on the oral health of the population assisted by the dental services offered in primary care and this protocol seems to ft the public dental service demands. The CDCP can be useful to public dental service planning since it showed an efficient clinical outcome to the patients. We consider that this protocol should be employed in primary care oral health services in order to achieve overall upgrade, access enlargement and public oral health promotion.

Health Care Waste Management Practice in Health Care Institutions of Nepal.

PubMed

Joshi, H D; Acharya, T; Ayer, R; Dhakal, P; Karki, K B; Dhimal, M

2017-01-01

Medical waste is considered as a major public health hazard. In a developing country like Nepal, there is much concern about the management practice of medical waste. This study aimed to assess Health Care Waste Management practice among Health Care Institutions in Nepal. A cross sectional study was carried out between July 2012 to June 2013 in 62 different Health Care Institutions, selected from stratified proportionate random sampling technique from all administrative regions of Nepal. A structured questionnaire and observation checklist were used for data collection. The waste generation rate is found significantly correlated with bed capacity, patient flow rate and annual budget spent in the hospital. It is found significantly higher in Teaching hospital than other Health Care Institutions of Nepal. An average of 3.3 kg/day/patient of medical waste (2.0 kg/day/patient non-hazardous and 1.0 kg/day/patient hazardous waste) was generated during the study period. Further, it was found that most of the Health care wastes were not disinfected before transportation to waste disposal sites. Very limited number of Health Care Institutions had conducted Environmental Assessment. Similarly, some of the Health Care Institutions had not followed Health care waste management guideline 2009 of Nepal Government. We found poor compliance of medical waste management practice as per existing legislation of Government of Nepal. Hence, additional effort is needed for improvement of Health care waste management practice at Health Care Institutions of Nepal.

Barriers to Women's Participation: Experiences of Volunteers and Community Healthcare Authorities.

PubMed

Rezakhani Moghaddam, Hamed; Allahverdipour, Hamid; Matlabi, Hossein

2018-01-01

Along with health development in general terms, women's involvement in health programs can be effective in raising their self-confidence and their health promotion. This study was carried out to unveil the barriers to and challenges of the health volunteers and to present the solutions to its promotion using active women participants' experiences and the authorities of the program. The study was carried out using qualitative method along with content analysis in city of Tabriz East-Azerbaijan province, Iran. Data collection was conducted utilizing semistructured individual interviews and focus group discussions with the participation of 29 health volunteers and responsible authorities. The participants were selected using purposive sampling with maximum variation. Data analysis implemented conventional content analysis using MAXODA. Barriers to and challenges of health volunteers were generally categorized into four main themes including volunteers and trainers' inadequate capabilities, inadequate acceptance of the volunteers, restrictive social norms, and organizational problems. It seems that interaction among health system, people, and health volunteers should be improved. Holding training programs about the activities of health volunteers at the society level leads into the better utilization of society sources in health programs.

[Factor analysis and internal consistency of pedagogical practices questionnaire among health care teachers].

PubMed

Pérez V, Cristhian; Vaccarezza G, Giulietta; Aguilar A, César; Coloma N, Katherine; Salgado F, Horacio; Baquedano R, Marjorie; Chavarría R, Carla; Bastías V, Nancy

2016-06-01

Teaching practice is one of the most complex topics of the training process in medicine and other health care careers. The Teaching Practices Questionnaire (TPQ) evaluates teaching skills. To assess the factor structure and internal consistency of the Spanish version of the TPP among health care teachers. The TPQ was answered by 315 university teachers from 13 of the 15 administrative Chilean regions, who were selected through a non-probabilistic volunteer sampling. The internal consistency of TPP factors was calculated and the correlation between them was analyzed. Six factors were identified: Student-centered teaching, Teaching planning, Assessment process, Dialogue relationship, Teacher-centered teaching and Use of technological resources. They had Cronbach alphas ranging from 0.60 to 0.85. The factorial structure of TPQ differentiates the most important functions of teaching. It also shows a theoretical consistency and a practical relevance to perform a diagnosis and continuous evaluation of teaching practices. Additionally, it has an adequate internal consistency. Thus, TPQ is valid and reliable to evaluate pedagogical practices in health care careers.

Volunteering in adolescence and young adulthood crime involvement: a longitudinal analysis from the add health study.

PubMed

Ranapurwala, Shabbar I; Casteel, Carri; Peek-Asa, Corinne

2016-12-01

Experiences in adolescence may have a lasting impact on adulthood. The objective of this study is to evaluate the association between adolescent (12-18 years of age) volunteerism with the incidence of illegal behaviors, arrests, and convictions in adulthood (>18 years of age). We conducted a retrospective cohort study using secondary data from the National Longitudinal Study of Adolescent to Adult Health. Students from grades 7-12 were recruited in 1994-1995 (n = 20,745), and then followed in 2001-2002 (n = 14,322) and in 2008-2009 (n = 12,288). In 2000-2001, participants were retrospectively asked about their volunteering experience from 12 to 18 years of age. Consequently, participants were divided into non-volunteers, self-volunteers, adult-required volunteers, and court-ordered volunteers. Groups were compared for rates of illegal behaviors, arrest, and convictions in adulthood (>18 years of age) using weighted generalized linear mixed negative binomial models while accounting for sampling design. Relative to non-volunteers, self-volunteers reported 11 % fewer illegal behaviors (RR: 0.89, 95 % CI: 0.80, 0.99), 31 % fewer arrests (RR: 0.69, 95 %: 0.57, 0.85), and 39 % fewer convictions (RR: 0.61, 95 % CI: 0.47, 0.79) by age 18-28 years, and 28 % fewer illegal behaviors, 53 % fewer arrests, and 36 % fewer convictions by age 24-34. In comparison the adult-required volunteers also reported fewer arrests and convictions; however, they reported more illegal behaviors than the non-volunteers. The court-ordered volunteers reported higher rates of criminal involvement than the non-volunteers, throughout. This study suggests that volunteering in adolescence may reduce crime involvement in adulthood.

Participation of Children with Special Health Care Needs in School and the Community

PubMed Central

Houtrow, Amy; Jones, Jessica; Ghandour, Reem; Strickland, Bonnie; Newacheck, Paul

2016-01-01

Objective Children with special health care needs (CSHCN) are at risk for decreased participation which can negatively impact their lives. The objectives of this study were to document the presence of participation restrictions for CSHCN compared to other children and to determine how personal and environmental factors are associated with participation restrictions for CSHCN. Methods The 2007 National Survey of Children’s Health (NSCH) was analyzed to evaluate two participation outcomes for children aged 6–17 years: school attendance and participation in organized activities, and two participation outcomes for children aged 12–17 years: working for pay and volunteering. Adjusted prevalences of participation restrictions were calculated for children with and without special health care needs. Logistic regression was used to identify factors independently associated with participation restrictions for CSHCN. Results After adjustment for sociodemographic characteristics, a larger proportion of CSHCN (27.9%) reported missing more than 5 days of school than other children (15.1%). In contrast, no differences were found for participation in organized activities, working for pay or volunteering. CSHCN with functional limitations were more likely to experience all four types of participation restrictions compared to other CSHCN and non-CSHCN. For CSHCN, the odds of certain participation restrictions were higher for those with functional limitations, in fair/poor health, with depressed mood, living at or near the federal poverty level and living in homes not headed by two parents. Conclusions CSHCN with functional limitations and those with worse health status are at elevated risk of experiencing participation restrictions than other children. Social disadvantage furthers the likelihood that CSHCN will experience participation restrictions. PMID:22683160

Health care reform and care at the behavioral health--primary care interface.

PubMed

Druss, Benjamin G; Mauer, Barbara J

2010-11-01

The historic passage of the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act in March 2010 offers the potential to address long-standing deficits in quality and integration of services at the interface between behavioral health and primary care. Many of the efforts to reform the care delivery system will come in the form of demonstration projects, which, if successful, will become models for the broader health system. This article reviews two of the programs that might have a particular impact on care on the two sides of that interface: Medicaid and Medicare patient-centered medical home demonstration projects and expansion of a Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration program that colocates primary care services in community mental health settings. The authors provide an overview of key supporting factors, including new financing mechanisms, quality assessment metrics, information technology infrastructure, and technical support, that will be important for ensuring that initiatives achieve their potential for improving care.

What Makes Health Care Special?: An Argument for Health Care Insurance.

PubMed

Horne, L Chad

2017-01-01

While citizens in a liberal democracy are generally expected to see to their basic needs out of their own income shares, health care is treated differently. Most rich liberal democracies provide their citizens with health care or health care insurance in kind. Is this "special" treatment justified? The predominant liberal account of justice in health care holds that the moral importance of health justifies treating health care as special in this way. I reject this approach and offer an alternative account. Health needs are not more important than other basic needs, but they are more unpredictable. I argue that citizens are owed access to insurance against health risks to provide stability in their future expectations and thus to protect their capacities for self-determination.

Retention of female volunteer community health workers in Dhaka urban slums: a prospective cohort study.

PubMed

Alam, Khurshid; Oliveras, Elizabeth

2014-05-20

Volunteer community health workers (CHWs) are a key approach to improving community-based maternal and child health services in developing countries. BRAC, a large Bangladeshi non-governmental organization (NGO), has employed female volunteer CHWs in its community-based health programs since 1977, recently including its Manoshi project, a community-based maternal and child health intervention in the urban slums of Bangladesh. A case-control study conducted in response to high dropout rates in the first year of the project showed that financial incentives, social prestige, community approval and household responsibilities were related to early retention in the project. In our present prospective cohort study, we aimed to better understand the factors associated with retention of volunteer CHWs once the project was more mature. We used a prospective cohort study design to examine the factors affecting retention of volunteer CHWs who remained in the project after the initial start-up period. We surveyed a random sample of 542 CHWs who were working for BRAC Manoshi in December 2008. In December 2009, we revisited this cohort of CHWs and interviewed those who had dropped out about the main reasons for their dropping out. We used a multivariable generalized linear model regression analysis with a log link to estimate the relative risk (RR) of independent factors on retention. Of the 542 CHWs originally enrolled, 120 had dropped out by the end of one year, mainly because they left the slums. CHWs who received positive community appraisal (adjusted RR = 1.45, 95% confidence interval (CI) = 1.10 to 1.91) or were associated with other NGOs (adjusted RR = 1.13, 95% CI = 1.04 to 1.23) were more likely to have been retained in the project. Although refresher training was also associated with increased retention (adjusted RR = 2.25, 95% CI = 1.08 to 4.71) in this study, too few CHWs had not attended refresher training regularly to make it a meaningful

Retention of female volunteer community health workers in Dhaka urban slums: a prospective cohort study

PubMed Central

2014-01-01

Background Volunteer community health workers (CHWs) are a key approach to improving community-based maternal and child health services in developing countries. BRAC, a large Bangladeshi non-governmental organization (NGO), has employed female volunteer CHWs in its community-based health programs since 1977, recently including its Manoshi project, a community-based maternal and child health intervention in the urban slums of Bangladesh. A case–control study conducted in response to high dropout rates in the first year of the project showed that financial incentives, social prestige, community approval and household responsibilities were related to early retention in the project. In our present prospective cohort study, we aimed to better understand the factors associated with retention of volunteer CHWs once the project was more mature. Methods We used a prospective cohort study design to examine the factors affecting retention of volunteer CHWs who remained in the project after the initial start-up period. We surveyed a random sample of 542 CHWs who were working for BRAC Manoshi in December 2008. In December 2009, we revisited this cohort of CHWs and interviewed those who had dropped out about the main reasons for their dropping out. We used a multivariable generalized linear model regression analysis with a log link to estimate the relative risk (RR) of independent factors on retention. Results Of the 542 CHWs originally enrolled, 120 had dropped out by the end of one year, mainly because they left the slums. CHWs who received positive community appraisal (adjusted RR = 1.45, 95% confidence interval (CI) = 1.10 to 1.91) or were associated with other NGOs (adjusted RR = 1.13, 95% CI = 1.04 to 1.23) were more likely to have been retained in the project. Although refresher training was also associated with increased retention (adjusted RR = 2.25, 95% CI = 1.08 to 4.71) in this study, too few CHWs had not attended refresher training

Evaluation of the health status of six volunteers from the Mars 500 project using pulse analysis.

PubMed

Shi, Hong-Zhi; Fan, Quan-Chun; Gao, Jian-Yi; Liu, Jun-Lian; Bai, Gui-E; Mi, Tao; Zhao, Shuang; Liu, Yu; Xu, Dong; Guo, Zhi-Feng; Li, Yong-Zhi

2017-08-01

To comprehensively evaluate the health status of 6 volunteers from the Mars 500 Project through analyzing their pulse graphs and determining the changes in cardiovascular function, degree of fatigue and autonomic nervous function. Six volunteers were recruited; all were male aged 26-38 years (average 31.83±4.96 years). Characteristic parameters reflflecting the status of cardiovascular functions were extracted, which included left ventricular contraction, vascular elasticity and peripheral resistance. The degree of fatigue was determined depending on the difference between the calendar age and biological age, which was calculated through the analysis of blood pressure value and characteristic parameters. Based on the values of pulse height variation and pulse time variation on a 30-s pulse graph, autonomic nervous function was evaluated. All parameters examined were marked on an equilateral polygon to form an irregular polygon of the actual fifigure, then health status was evaluated based on the coverage area of the actual fifigure. The results demonstrated: (1) volunteers developed weakened pulse power, increased vascular tension and peripheral resistance, and slight decreased ventricular systolic function; (2) the degree of fatigue was basically mild or moderate; and (3) autonomic nervous function was excited but generally balanced. These volunteers were in the state of sub-health. According to Chinese medicine theories, such symptoms are mainly caused by the weakening of healthy qi, Gan (Liver) failing in free coursing, and disharmony between Gan and Wei (Stomach), which manifests as a weak and string-like pulse.

Is overseas volunteering beneficial to the NHS? The analysis of volunteers' responses to a feedback questionnaire following experiences in low-income and middle-income countries.

PubMed

Yeomans, Daniel; Le, Grace; Pandit, Hemant; Lavy, Chris

2017-10-16

Locally requested and planned overseas volunteering in low-income and middle-income countries by National Health Service (NHS) staff can have benefits for the host or receiving nation, but its impact on the professional development of NHS staff is not proven. The Knowledge and Skills Framework (KSF) and Leadership Framework (LF) are two tools used by employers as a measure of individuals' development. We have used dimensions from both tools as a method of evaluating the benefit to NHS doctors who volunteer overseas. 88 NHS volunteers participating with local colleagues in Primary Trauma Care and orthopaedic surgical training courses in sub-Saharan Africa were asked to complete an online self-assessment questionnaire 6 months following their return to the UK. The survey consisted of questions based on qualities outlined in both the KSF and LF. 85 completed responses to the questionnaire were received. In every KSF domain assessed, the majority of volunteers agreed that their overseas volunteering experience improved their practice within the NHS. Self-assessed pre-course and post-course scores evaluating the LF also saw a universal increase, notably in the 'working with others' domain. There is a growing body of literature outlining the positive impact of overseas volunteering on NHS staff. Despite increasing evidence that such experiences can develop volunteers' essential skills, individuals often find it difficult to gain support of their employers. Our study, in line with the current literature, shows that overseas volunteering by NHS staff can provide an opportunity to enhance professional and personal development. Skills gained from volunteering within international links match many of the qualities outlined in both KSF and LF, directly contributing to volunteers' continued professional development. © Article author(s) (or their employer(s) unless otherwise stated in the text of the article) 2017. All rights reserved. No commercial use is permitted unless

Nutrition and health education intervention for student volunteers: topic-wise assessment of impact using a non-parametric test.

PubMed

Vijayapushpam, T; Antony, Grace Maria; Rao, G M Subba; Rao, D Raghunatha

2010-01-01

To assess the impact of a classroom-based nutrition and health education intervention among student community volunteers in improving their knowledge on individual topics. Prospective follow-up study. Topic-wise knowledge change among student volunteers on individual topics (twenty-one questions related to nutrition and health, eight questions related to infectious diseases and two questions related to obesity and hypertension) pertaining to nutrition and health was evaluated at baseline and after intervention, using the McNemar test. Six different colleges affiliated to Osmania University, Andhra Pradesh, India. Six hundred and eighty-seven student volunteers under the National Service Scheme, of both genders, average age 19 years. A significant mean improvement of 11.36 (sd 8.49, P < 0.001) was observed in the overall nutrition and health knowledge scores of the student volunteers after the education intervention. The McNemar test showed that knowledge on individual topics related to energy, proteins, fats, adolescent phase, obesity, some lifestyle diseases and infectious diseases improved significantly (P < 0.01). No significant (P > 0.05) improvement was observed in knowledge on the nutritional content of milk and sprouted grams, hypertension, HIV/AIDS, ELISA and malaria. Topics on which our educational intervention could not bring about significant knowledge improvement have been identified and suitable modifications can be carried out to strengthen them.

Altababa medical volunteer group mission to Almanagil hospital, Sudan: new ideas for long-term partnership, success factors and guidelines for other groups.

PubMed

Ahmed, G Y; Hassan, I; Jafar, S; Alawad, M; Jameel, A; Abdullah, M; Suror, M

2015-09-08

Sudanese medical volunteers have a long history of working in districts with poor health-care infrastructure. Altababa medical volunteer group (AMVG) was established by Sudanese physicians working in Saudi Arabia who desired to contribute to improving clinical services and training in their country of origin. This paper documents steps in the planning and evaluation of AMVG's first mission to Almanagil hospital in Sudan in 2013. Over a 3-day period the visiting team of 4 physicians performed 25 laparoscopic surgical and obstetric/ gynaecological procedures and 36 echocardiogram tests-all with hands-on training-presented 11 lectures and consulted with 137 patients. A total of 247 trainees and patients completed a 22-item evaluation survey. The first mission was highly rated by both trainees (health-care providers) and patients. The results provided a road map for volunteers to accomplish cost-effective goals in small hospitals with modest facilities.

Motivation, Personality and Well-Being in Older Volunteers

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Pushkar, Dolores; Reis, Myrna; Morros, Melinda

2002-01-01

This study examined the effects of personality traits and motivation to volunteer on well-being as 107 older participants went through an intervention to increase volunteering. Three groups of volunteers, current, new, and former volunteers, participated. Participants were assessed four times on standardized measures of personality, health,…

Solidarity and compassion-prisoners as hospice volunteers in Poland.

PubMed

Krakowiak, Piotr; Deka, Renata; Janowicz, Anna

2018-04-01

Democracy in Eastern Europe arrived after a long fight with a communist regime, and the activities of medical volunteers have been developing in opposition to the existing then in Poland mentality called Homo Sovieticus. From 1981 onwards the Polish Hospice Movement there was inspired by practitioners and international experiences brought by visits of Dr. Cicely Saunders. The history of modern end-of-life care in Poland was connected to caring communities, which could be called compassionate, because of the volunteering of all hospice team members. When palliative medicine started to become a part of the national healthcare programme, the hospice movement was slowly losing its exceptional character of professionals working together with volunteers, accompanied by considerable involvement of church communities. The new way of talking about end-of-life care was proposed in XXI century, and promotion of volunteering was part of it. In Gdansk an innovative program to reintegrate prisoners into society through voluntary work with hospice patients began. Since 2008 the WHAT project was aimed at social reintegration of prisoners through voluntary activities in hospices and correctional institutions from around Poland. In June 2009 Poland was awarded a prestigious prize 'The Crystal Scales of Justice' by The Council of Europe for a project called Voluntary Service of the Convicted in Poland implementing an innovative form of cooperation among prisons, hospices and social welfare homes. The research involving prisoners performing hospice-palliative care volunteering indicates a diverse range of life goals from the inmates not involved in hospices. These innovative correctional programs truly help local communities and prisoners who are currently working in 40 hospices and 70 nursing homes, helping those in need. Adequately prepared inmates who proved to be effective volunteers could be an inspiration to all who want to make end-of-life care more social, more humane and a

Health effects of a subway environment in mild asthmatic volunteers.

PubMed

Klepczyńska-Nyström, Anna; Larsson, Britt-Marie; Grunewald, Johan; Pousette, Charlotte; Lundin, Anders; Eklund, Anders; Svartengren, Magnus

2012-01-01

Particle exposure is known to have negative health effects. In Stockholm the environment in the subway has been reported to have higher particle exposure levels, measured as PM(2.5) and PM(10), than roads with intense traffic in the inner city area. We have recently shown that healthy volunteers exposed to subway environment had statistically significant increase of fibrinogen and CD4 cells expressing regulatory T-cell marker CD25(bright)/FOXP3 in blood. The aim of the present study was to find out whether a more vulnerable population, asthmatics, would demonstrate similar or other changes in the lungs or in the peripheral blood. Sixteen mild asthmatics were exposed to a subway and a control environment for 2 h while being monitored by measurements of lung function, and inflammatory response in the lower airways evaluated by bronchoscopy and in peripheral blood. An attempt to standardize the exposures was done, by letting the volunteers alternate 15 min intervals of moderate exercise on a bicycle ergometer with 15 min of rest. We found a statistically significant increased frequency of CD4 cells expressing T-cell activation marker CD25 in bronchoalveolar lavage fluid, but no significant increase of regulatory T-cells in blood as was found in healthy volunteers. Our study shows that airway inflammatory responses after exposure in subway environment differ between asthmatic and healthy humans. Copyright © 2011 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Dedicated real-time monitoring system for health care using ZigBee.

PubMed

Alwan, Omar S; Prahald Rao, K

2017-08-01

Real-time monitoring systems (RTMSs) have drawn considerable attentions in the last decade. Several commercial versions of RTMS for patient monitoring are available which are used by health care professionals. Though they are working satisfactorily on various communication protocols, their range, power consumption, data rate and cost are really bothered. In this study, the authors present an efficient embedded system based wireless health care monitoring system using ZigBee. Their system has a capability to transmit the data between two embedded systems through two transceivers over a long range. In this, wireless transmission has been applied through two categories. The first part which contains Arduino with ZigBee will send the signals to the second device, which contains Raspberry with ZigBee. The second device will measure the patient data and send it to the first device through ZigBee transceiver. The designed system is demonstrated on volunteers to measure the body temperature which is clinically important to monitor and diagnose for fever in the patients.

Successful strategies for recruitment of emergency medical volunteers.

PubMed

Hasselmann, Anne Rinchiuso

2013-06-01

A robust medical volunteer program is critical to ensuring a successful response to public health and medical emergencies. The New York City (NYC) Department of Health and Mental Hygiene created the NYC Medical Reserve Corps in 2003 to build a multidisciplinary team of health professionals who wish to assist NYC with response during large-scale health emergencies. This article reports on the search to determine which recruitment activities have been most successful to date, with the goal of modeling future activities upon those that worked best. A retrospective review of effectiveness of recruitment strategies to identify and register new NYC Medical Reserve Corps volunteers was undertaken. A broad range of recruitment activities have been implemented since the program's inception, with varying degrees of success. Various recruitment modalities were tried, including direct invitations to licensed professionals by the NYC Health Commissioner and announcements through professional organization partners. The direct invitation by the NYC Health Commissioner to health professionals licensed in 1 of the 5 boroughs of NYC has proved to be the most successful recruitment tool to date. The local health commissioner or other trusted community figure is an excellent messenger for recruiting emergency volunteers. It is also critical that recruitment messages reach as many potential volunteers as possible to ensure that the requisite number of volunteers and mix of professional disciplines are identified.

Volunteering in later life: research frontiers.

PubMed

Morrow-Howell, Nancy

2010-07-01

This review summarizes the current knowledge about volunteering in later life and suggests 5 research questions at the forefront of knowledge development. Rates of volunteering do not decline significantly until the middle of the 7th decade, and older volunteers commit more hours than younger volunteers. Older adults with more human and social capital tend to volunteer, and there is good evidence of a reciprocal relationship between volunteering and well-being. Program and policy developments in the field are outstripping production of knowledge to support evidence-based practices. Research on the dynamics of volunteering over the life course as well as the patterns of activities that co-occur with volunteering is needed to guide program development. Research methods and findings from transdisciplinary work on the mechanisms through which psychosocial conditions affect health must be extended to the study of the effects of volunteering on older adults. Finally, we need to engage in more applied social science aimed at improving volunteer management, especially recruitment and retention of older volunteers.

Health Care Access among Latinos: Implications for Social and Health Care Reforms

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Perez-Escamilla, Rafael

2010-01-01

According to the Institute of Medicine, health care access is defined as "the degree to which people are able to obtain appropriate care from the health care system in a timely manner." Two key components of health care access are medical insurance and having access to a usual source of health care. Recent national data show that 34% of Latino…

42 CFR 418.78 - Conditions of participation-Volunteers.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

2014-10-01

... 42 Public Health 3 2014-10-01 2014-10-01 false Conditions of participation-Volunteers. 418.78... Non-Core Services § 418.78 Conditions of participation—Volunteers. The hospice must use volunteers to the extent specified in paragraph (e) of this section. These volunteers must be used in defined roles...

42 CFR 418.78 - Conditions of participation-Volunteers.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

2013-10-01

... 42 Public Health 3 2013-10-01 2013-10-01 false Conditions of participation-Volunteers. 418.78... Non-Core Services § 418.78 Conditions of participation—Volunteers. The hospice must use volunteers to the extent specified in paragraph (e) of this section. These volunteers must be used in defined roles...

42 CFR 418.78 - Conditions of participation-Volunteers.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

2012-10-01

... 42 Public Health 3 2012-10-01 2012-10-01 false Conditions of participation-Volunteers. 418.78... Non-Core Services § 418.78 Conditions of participation—Volunteers. The hospice must use volunteers to the extent specified in paragraph (e) of this section. These volunteers must be used in defined roles...

42 CFR 418.78 - Conditions of participation-Volunteers.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-10-01

... 42 Public Health 3 2011-10-01 2011-10-01 false Conditions of participation-Volunteers. 418.78... Services § 418.78 Conditions of participation—Volunteers. The hospice must use volunteers to the extent specified in paragraph (e) of this section. These volunteers must be used in defined roles and under the...

Health-Care Access in a Rural Area: Perspectives from Russian-Speaking Immigrants, English-Speaking Doctors, and Volunteer Interpreters

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Brua, Charles R.

2009-01-01

Health-care access for immigrants in the United States is often problematic because of language barriers, lack of health insurance, or differing expectations based on divergent medical systems in the U.S. and the immigrants' home countries. Such difficulties are exacerbated when a linguistic-minority population lives in a rural community that has…

Motivations, barriers and ethical understandings of healthcare student volunteers on a medical service trip: a mixed methods study.

PubMed

Rovers, John; Japs, Kelsey; Truong, Erica; Shah, Yogesh

2016-03-22

The motivation to volunteer on a medical service trip (MST) may involve more than a simple desire for philanthropy. Some volunteers may be motivated by an intrinsic interest in volunteering in which the context of the volunteer activity is less important. Others may volunteer because the context of their volunteering is more important than their intrinsic interest in volunteering. Furthermore, MSTs may pose a variety of ethical problems that volunteers should consider prior to engaging in a trip. This study evaluated the motivations and barriers for graduate health care students volunteering for an MST to either the Dominican Republic or Mississippi. Volunteers' understanding of some of the ethical issues associated with MSTs was also assessed. Thirty-five graduate health professions students who volunteered on an MST were asked to complete an online survey. Students' motivations and barriers for volunteering were assessed using a 5-point Likert scale and Fisher's exact test. Ethical understanding of issues in volunteering was assessed using thematic analysis. Students' motivations for volunteering appeared to be related to the medical context of their service more than an inherent desire for volunteer work. Significant differences were seen in motivations and barriers for some student groups, especially those whose volunteer work had less opportunity for clinical service. Thematic analysis revealed two major themes and suggested that students had an empirical understanding that volunteer work could have both positive and negative effects. An understanding of students' motivations for volunteering on an MST may allow faculty to design trips with activities that effectively address student motivations. Although students had a basic understanding of some of the ethical issues involved, they had not considered the impact of a service group on the in-country partners they work with.

Volunteers in plastic surgery guidelines for providing surgical care for children in the less developed world: part II. Ethical considerations.

PubMed

Schneider, William J; Migliori, Mark R; Gosain, Arun K; Gregory, George; Flick, Randall

2011-09-01

Many international volunteer groups provide free reconstructive plastic surgery for the poor and underserved in developing countries. An essential issue in providing this care is that it meets consistent guidelines for both quality and safety-a topic that has been addressed previously. An equally important consideration is how to provide that care in an ethical manner. No literature presently addresses the various issues involved in making those decisions. With these ethical considerations in mind, the Volunteers in Plastic Surgery Committee of the American Society of Plastic Surgeons/Plastic Surgery Foundation undertook a project to create a comprehensive set of guidelines for volunteer groups planning to provide this type of reconstructive plastic surgery in developing countries. The committee worked in conjunction with the Society for Pediatric Anesthesia on this project. The Board of the American Society of Plastic Surgeons/Plastic Surgery Foundation has approved the ethical guidelines created for the delivery of care in developing countries. The guidelines address the variety of ethical decisions that may be faced by a team working in an underdeveloped country. These guidelines make it possible for a humanitarian effort to anticipate the types of ethical decisions that are often encountered and be prepared to deal with them appropriately. Any group seeking to undertake an international mission trip in plastic surgery should be able to go to one source to find a detailed discussion of the perceived needs in providing ethical humanitarian care. This document was created to satisfy that need and is a companion to our original guidelines addressing safety and quality.

Organizational factors and mental health in community volunteers. The role of exposure, preparation, training, tasks assigned, and support.

PubMed

Thormar, Sigridur Bjork; Gersons, Berthold P R; Juen, Barbara; Djakababa, Maria Nelden; Karlsson, Thorlakur; Olff, Miranda

2013-01-01

During disasters, aid organizations often respond using the resources of local volunteer members from the affected population who are not only inexperienced, but who additionally take on some of the more psychologically and physically difficult tasks in order to provide support for their community. Although not much empirical evidence exists to justify the claim, it is thought that preparation, training, and organizational support limit (or reduce) a volunteer's risk of developing later psychopathology. In this study, we examined the effects of preparation, training, and organizational support and assigned tasks on the mental health of 506 Indonesian Red Cross volunteers who participated in the response to a massive earthquake in Yogyakarta, Indonesia, in 2006. Controlling for exposure level, the volunteers were assessed for post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), anxiety, depression, and subjective health complaints (SHCs) 6, 12, and 18 months post-disaster. Results showed high levels of PTSD and SHCs up to 18 months post-disaster, while anxiety and depression levels remained in the normal range. Higher levels of exposure as well as certain tasks (e.g., provision of psychosocial support to beneficiaries, handling administration, or handing out food aid) made the volunteers more vulnerable. Sense of safety, expressed general need for support at 6 months, and a lack of perceived support from team leaders and the organization were also related to greater psychopathology at 18 months. The results highlight the importance of studying organizational factors. By incorporating these results into future volunteer management programs the negative effects of disaster work on volunteers can be ameliorated.

Physician volunteers.

PubMed

Milles, G A

1999-01-01

There is an increasing population of working poor in our community. They earn too little to afford health insurance, yet they don't qualify for government assistance. Physician volunteers Howard County have joined together and developed a free clinic to meet this challenge.

Female community health volunteers service utilization for childhood illness- improving quality of health services only is not enough: a cross-sectional study in mid-western region, Nepal.

PubMed

Miyaguchi, Moe; Yasuoka, Junko; Poudyal, Amod Kumar; Silwal, Ram Chandra; Jimba, Masamine

2014-09-11

Female Community Health Volunteers (FCHVs) are considered service providers for major health problems at the community level in Nepal. However, few studies have been conducted about the roles of FCHVs from the users' perspective. This study sought to examine the current status of FCHV service utilization and identify the determinants of caregivers' utilization of FCHVs' health services in the mid-western region of Nepal. This cross-sectional study targeted 446 caregivers of children under five years of age and whose children had ever fallen ill in the study village development committees (VDCs) of three districts of Nepal. Caregivers were asked about their usual health practices for childhood illness, health service utilization for childhood illness, children's health condition, satisfaction with health services, and socio-demographic status. Descriptive statistics and multiple logistic regression were used for analysis. Among 446 caregivers, 66.8% had never sought care from FCHVs for their children's illnesses in their lifetime, and more than 50% of them were unaware of FCHVs' services for acute respiratory infection and diarrhea. Among 316 caregivers whose child had an illness during the last seven months, 92.3% of them (n = 293) did not take their child to FCHVs. The main reasons were the lack of medicine available from them and their incompetency in providing care. Among the 446 caregivers, those who participated in a mothers' group (n = 82) were more likely to use FCHVs' services in their lifetime (AOR = 3.23, 95% CI =1.81-5.76). Caregivers can gain benefit by using FCHV's health services, but a majority of the caregivers did not seek care from FCHVs due to its limited quality. Raising caregivers' awareness on FCHV is equally important at community level.

Motivations, concerns, and expectations of Scandinavian health professionals volunteering for humanitarian assignments.

PubMed

Bjerneld, Magdalena; Lindmark, Gunilla; McSpadden, Lucia Ann; Garrett, Martha J

2006-01-01

International nongovernmental organizations (NGOs) involved in humanitarian assistance employ millions of volunteers. One of the major challenges for the organizations is the high turnover rate among their personnel. Another is recruiting the right persons. As part of a series of studies investigating factors that affect the recruitment process and the success of assignment, this qualitative study examined health professionals' motivations for volunteering, their various concerns, and their expectations about themselves and the organizations for which they would work. The findings from focus group interviews with potential humanitarian volunteers were considered within the framework of Hertzberg's theory of motivations and Maslow's hierarchy of needs. The study has significant implications for personnel policy and practice in the humanitarian sector. Recruitment officers should have the self-actualized person, as described by Maslow, in mind when interviewing candidates. This perspective would make it easier for them to understand the candidates' thoughts and concerns and would lead to more effective interventions. Program officers should have satisfiers and dissatisfiers, as identified by Herzberg, in mind when planning programs. The probability that personnel will leave humanitarian work is lower if they perceive working conditions as good.

Empowering Volunteers at Tawanchai Centre for Patients with Cleft Lip and Palate.

PubMed

Pradubwong, Suteera; Augsornwan, Darawan; Pathumwiwathana, Pornpen; Prathanee, Benjamas; Chowchuen, Bowornsilp

2015-08-01

Cleft lip and palate (CLP) congenital anomalies have a high prevalence in the Northeast of Thailand. A care team's understand of treatment plan would help to guide the family of patients with CLP to achieve the treatment. To examine the impact of the empowering volunteer project, established in the northeast Thailand. The Empowering Volunteer project was conducted in 2008 under the Tawanchai Royal Granted project. The patients and family's general information, treatment, the group brainstorming, and satisfaction with the project were analysed. Participants were 12 children with CLP their families and five volunteers with CLP; the participating patients were predominantly females and the mean age was 12.2 years. The treatment comprised of speech training, dental hygiene care, bone graft and orthodontic treatment. Four issues were addressed including: problems in taking care of breast feeding, instructions' needs for care at birth, difficulty in access information and society impact, and needs in having a network of volunteers. Empowering volunteer is important for holistic care of patients with CLP which provides easy access and multiple channels for patients and their families. It should be developed as part of the self-help and family support group, the development of community based team and comprehensive CLP care program.

Health Care in the United States [and] Health Care Issues: A Lesson Plan.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Lewis, John; Dempsey, Joanne R.

1984-01-01

An article on American health care which focuses on health care costs and benefits is combined with a lesson plan on health care issues to enable students to consider both issues of cost effectiveness and morality in decisions about the allocation of health care. The article covers the history of interest in health care, the reasons for the…

Suspension of enrollment in the Federal Employees Health Benefits (FEHB) Program for Peace Corps volunteers. Final rule.

PubMed

2006-11-17

The Office of Personnel Management is issuing a final regulation to allow Peace Corps volunteers who are FEHB Program enrolled annuitants, survivors, and former spouses to suspend their FEHB enrollments and then return to the FEHB Program during the Open Season, or return to FEHB coverage immediately, if they involuntarily lose health benefits coverage under the Peace Corps. The intent of this final rule is to allow these beneficiaries to avoid the expense of continuing to pay FEHB Program premiums while they have other health coverage as Peace Corps volunteers, without endangering their ability to return to the FEHB Program in the future.

Physical Health Problems and Barriers to Optimal Health Care Among Children in Foster Care.

PubMed

Deutsch, Stephanie Anne; Fortin, Kristine

2015-10-01

Children and adolescents in foster care placement represent a unique population with special health care needs, often resulting from pre-placement early adversity and neglected, unaddressed health care needs. High rates of all health problems, including acute and/or chronic physical, mental, and developmental issues prevail. Disparities in health status and access to health care are observed. This article summarizes the physical health problems of children in foster care, who are predisposed to poor health outcomes when complex care needs are unaddressed. Despite recognition of the significant burden of health care need among this unique population, barriers to effective and optimal health care delivery remain. Legislative solutions to overcome obstacles to health care delivery for children in foster care are discussed. Copyright © 2015 Mosby, Inc. All rights reserved.

Grassroots volunteers in context: rewarding and adverse experiences of local women working on HIV and AIDS in Kilimanjaro, Tanzania.

PubMed

Corbin, J Hope; Mittelmark, Maurice B; Lie, Gro T

2016-09-01

Many nongovernmental organizations in Africa rely on grassroots volunteers to provide critical health services. Considering context and the interplay of individual, organizational, and societal influences on the experience of volunteers, this paper addresses three questions: What do grassroots volunteers contribute? What organizational processes promote volunteer engagement? What are the positive and negative consequences of volunteering? Eighteen members and staff of the Tanzanian HIV and AIDS NGO, KIWAKKUKI, were selected from 6000+ women volunteers to be interviewed. The interviews were recorded, transcribed, and analyzed for themes. Within KIWAKKUKI, volunteers contributed time and local knowledge, leading to an indigenous educational approach building on local norms and customs. Volunteers' engagement was motivated by the desire to support family members, reverse stigma, and work/socialize with other women. Benefits to volunteers included skills acquisition and community recognition; yet some volunteers also reported negative experiences including burnout, conferred stigma, and domestic violence. Positive organizational processes built on cultural practices such as collective decision-making and singing. The findings point to important considerations about context, including the synergistic effect training can have on local traditions of caring, complications of gender inequity, and how community health planning processes may need to be modified in extremely poor settings. This research also suggests good utility of the research framework (the Bergen Model of Collaborative Functioning) that was used to analyze volunteer engagement for service delivery in sub-Saharan contexts. © The Author(s) 2015.

Status report on primary health care (1987-1993).

PubMed

Bautista, V A

1995-04-01

This article describes the legislative mandate for the development of primary health care (PHC) in the Philippines and provides a discussion of the attempts made to realize the goals of that mandate. Two major Department of Health thrusts are delineated: 1) from 1986 to 1991 Under-Secretary Alfredo Bengzon sought to deemphasize the implementation of primary health care in favor of an approach which sought to forge partnerships with nongovernmental organizations (NGOs) to realize a concept of "Community Health Development" and 2) from 1992 to 1995, Secretary Juan Flavier restored attention to the implementation of PHC which would be operational under the guidance of local government units. The difference in the two approaches is primarily a difference in their manner of execution. Despite some problems, the first initiative achieved important goals such as 1) implementing an information system to allow targeting of areas for social development, 2) organizing the First National Convention of NGOs for Health, 3) encouraging collaborative activities with NGOs, and 4) support of the activities of Barangay Health Workers (BHWs). The second initiative involved recognition of additional volunteer health workers; following community organizing as a basic approach for empowerment; expanding the prior initiatives; and making plans to identify model PHC barangays, monitor levels of PHC implementation, and prepare a BHW operational manual. This review ends by considering various issues and offering recommendations which include: 1) spelling out the role of local chief executives, 2) adopting a single terminology to describe the current approach, 3) defining the role of the BHW (multipurpose worker or health worker), 4) adopting a convergence of efforts strategy, 5) monitoring levels of PHC, 6) documenting the PHC implementation process, 7) dealing with program sustainability issues, and 8) improving the management of local health facilities.

Interprofessional education in primary health care for entry level students--A systematic literature review.

PubMed

Kent, Fiona; Keating, Jennifer L

2015-12-01

This systematic review investigated student learning and patient outcomes associated with interprofessional education in outpatient, primary care clinics. Medline, Cinahl and Embase databases were searched to March 2014. A mixed method evaluation framework was applied to investigate the participants, interventions and effects on student learning and patient outcomes. 26 studies met the inclusion criteria; 13 were quantitative, predominately pre-post-survey design, 6 qualitative and 7 mixed methods design. Studies most commonly investigated student volunteers from medicine, nursing and allied health working in interprofessional clinics that were established to address gaps in community health care. Students appeared to learn teamwork skills and increase their knowledge of the roles of other disciplines. We found no convincing evidence that participation results in changes in attitudes towards other disciplines compared to single discipline education. We also found insufficient evidence to estimate the effectiveness of patient care delivered by interprofessional student teams in this setting compared to single discipline or no care. Given the logistical challenges associated with coordinating clinic attendance for interprofessional teams, high quality studies are needed to assess the effects of clinics on student learning and patient health outcomes. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Home-based care for people living with HIV/AIDS in Plateau State, Nigeria: findings from qualitative study.

PubMed

Agbonyitor, M

2009-01-01

As health-care services in Nigeria and other African countries are becoming overstrained with patients, home-based care has increasingly been touted as a possible solution. The faith-based organisation, Gospel Health and Development Services, provides a home-based care programme for people living with HIV/AIDS (PLWHA) residing in Plateau State, Nigeria. This paper assesses the challenges that PLWHA in the programme faced while maintaining their health and livelihoods. The frustrations that volunteers endured in performing their work are also described, as well as the benefits and weaknesses of the programme from the perspective of PLWHA and their volunteer caregivers. Focus groups and interviews were done with 30 PLWHA and 22 volunteers to learn about their experiences with the home-based care programme and possible areas for its improvement. From these discussions three major challenges facing PLWHA emerged: discrimination towards PLWHA; the lack of money, food, and transport to health-care centres; and the desire for closer antiretroviral drug access.

What makes a successful volunteer Expert Patients Programme tutor? Factors predicting satisfaction, productivity and intention to continue tutoring of a new public health workforce in the United Kingdom.

PubMed

Macdonald, Wendy; Kontopantelis, Evangelos; Bower, Peter; Kennedy, Anne; Rogers, Anne; Reeves, David

2009-04-01

Better management of chronic conditions is a challenge for public health policy. The Expert Patients Programme was introduced into the United Kingdom to improve self-care in people with long-term conditions. To deliver self-care courses, the programme relies on the recruitment and continued commitment to delivering the courses of volunteer lay tutors who have long-term conditions. Ensuring the tutor workforce is productive, satisfied in their role and retained long-term is central to the viability of the programme. This exploratory study aimed to determine what factors predict productivity, intention to continue tutoring, and satisfaction in a sample of volunteer tutors from the Expert Patients Programme. A cross-sectional survey of 895 tutors was carried out and 518 (58%) responded. The questionnaire was designed to describe the characteristics, productivity, intention to continue tutoring, and satisfaction of tutors. Multiple linear regression analyses were used to examine the determinants of productivity, intention to continue tutoring, and satisfaction, such as patient demographics, attitudes, physical and mental health, mastery and self-esteem. Attitudes relating to personal goals, and better health were significant predictors of satisfaction with the tutor role. Only a small proportion of the variance in productivity was accounted for, and tutors were more likely to be productive when they were single, homeowners, car owners, and had lower scores on the depression scale. Overall satisfaction and personal goals were predictors of intention to continue tutoring. Demographic factors, health measures and attitudes each predicted different aspects of the experience of work conducted by the volunteer tutors. The results should prove useful for planning interventions to enhance the success of this new workforce initiative. Attempts to increase participation in courses by people from deprived backgrounds are likely to be enhanced if tutors come from similar

Physicians' Perceptions of Volunteer Service at Safety-Net Clinics.

PubMed

Mcgeehan, Laura; Takehara, Michael A; Daroszewski, Ellen

2017-01-01

Volunteer physicians are crucial for the operation of safety-net clinics, which provide medical care for uninsured and underinsured populations. Thus, identifying ways to maximize the number of physicians volunteering at such clinics is an important goal. To investigate the perceptions, motivations, functions, and barriers associated with physician volunteering in four safety-net clinics in San Bernardino County, Southern California, a location of great medical need with many barriers to care. The study participants are physicians belonging to the Southern California Permanente Medical Group who use a combination of discretionary time (during regular work hours) and personal time in evening and weekend hours to volunteer their services. The experimental design incorporates a mixed methodology: an online survey of 31 physicians and follow-up interviews with 8 of them. Physicians conveyed uniformly positive perceptions of their volunteer service, and most were motivated by humanitarian or prosocial desires. Volunteering also provided a protective "escape hatch" from the pressures of the physicians' regular jobs. Physicians cited few challenges to volunteering. The most common personal barrier was a lack of time. The most common professional barriers were organizational and supply issues at the clinic, along with the patients' social, transportation, and financial challenges. The results suggest that appealing to physicians' values and faith, and highlighting the burnout-prevention qualities of volunteering, may be key to recruitment and retention of volunteer physicians who serve underserved and underinsured populations in community clinics.

Physicians’ Perceptions of Volunteer Service at Safety-Net Clinics

PubMed Central