So no one dies alone: a study of hospice volunteering with rural seniors.
This paper summarizes the results of a qualitative study of hospice volunteering in the rural communities of northwestern Ontario. In this region, there are 13 independent and active hospice volunteer programs serving communities ranging in population from 1,000 to 15,000. The 13 volunteer coordinators in these communities participated in a phone interview in which they described the role of hospice volunteers in their community and the kinds of clients they serve. The results indicate that the hospice volunteers in this rural region spend a large part of their time visiting medically frail and lonely seniors who are at risk of dying alone or without adequate care and companionship at the end of life. Long-term visiting to build relationships of trust and genuine caring are considered the ideal in these communities. Implications for end-of-life care for rural seniors are discussed.
McKee
Margaret
M
School of Social Work, Lakehead University, Thunder Bay, Ottawa, Ontario, Canada.
Kelley
Mary Lou
ML
Guirguis-Younger
Manal
M
D000368:Aged; D004645:Empathy; D016330:Frail Elderly / Q000523:psychology*; D019538:Health Care Surveys; D006299:Health Services for the Aged; D006738:Hospices; D006801:Humans; D009042:Motivation; D009864:Ontario; D012380:Role; D019035:Rural Health Services; D013647:Task Performance and Analysis; D014838:Volunteers / Q000458:organization & administration*