title: Volunteers as members of the home healthcare and hospice teams.
abstract: A volunteer program has multiple advantages to the patients, their families, their nurses, the hospice, and the volunteers themselves (Harris, 1990). Home care volunteerism make good sense. If properly administered, it is cost-efficient and delivers a quality of care that can be acquired in no other way (Sodano, 1997;764). Given the many changes that continue to take place in home healthcare and hospice regulations and financing, volunteers are a vital component of both programs so that patients and families continue to receive high-quality care. Volunteers are important members of the home healthcare and hospice teams.
authors.affiliation: Abington Memorial Hospital Home care, Willow Grove, Pennsylvania 19090-0520, USA.
authors.forename: M D
authors.initials: MD
authors.lastname: Harris
authors.forename: J M
authors.initials: JM
authors.lastname: Olson
mesh_terms: D003152:Community Health Nursing / Q000458:organization & administration*; D003362:Cost-Benefit Analysis; D006699:Home Care Services / Q000458:organization & administration*; D006738:Hospices / Q000458:organization & administration*; D006801:Humans; D007587:Job Description; D010348:Patient Care Team / Q000458:organization & administration*; D010560:Personnel Selection; D011787:Quality of Health Care; D014838:Volunteers / Q000193:education / Q000458:organization & administration*