Imagine you are dying: would you be interested in having a hospice palliative care volunteer?
A community sample of 100 adults was asked to imagine that they had been recently diagnosed with a life-threatening illness. After reading about the services provided by hospice palliative care volunteers, participants were asked whether they would choose to have a volunteer help them and to give a reason for their answer. Eighty-nine of the 100 participants indicated that they would use the help of a volunteer. The most commonly given reasons for utilizing a volunteer included for the general support they provide, help with practical things, and lack of family nearby; reasons given for declining the services of a volunteer included "I'm a private person'' and "I don't need any help.'' Sixty-five participants knew that such a volunteer program was available. Of the 35 participants who did not, 31 (89%) expected their family doctor to tell them about it. The implications of these findings for volunteer program coordinators are discussed.
Claxton-Oldfield
Stephen
S
Psychology Department, Mount Allison University, 49A York Street, Sackville, New Brunswick, Canada. sclaxton@mta.ca
Gosselin
Natasha
N
Claxton-Oldfield
Jane
J
D000328:Adult; D001293:Attitude to Death; D001294:Attitude to Health; D002170:Canada; D003219:Confidentiality; D005260:Female; D007722:Health Knowledge, Attitudes, Practice; D006701:Home Nursing / Q000523:psychology*; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D010166:Palliative Care / Q000523:psychology*; D018907:Privacy; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D013727:Terminal Care / Q000523:psychology*; D014838:Volunteers