title: Motivations, Satisfaction, and Fears of Death and Dying in Residential Hospice Volunteers: A Prospective Longitudinal Study.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Studies conducted on hospice volunteers' characteristics and experiences have been cross-sectional. We conducted a prospective study to examine changes in the volunteer experience over time in a cohort of volunteers during the first year of a new residential hospice.
  
  
  METHODS
  Eighty-two active volunteers completed an online baseline survey, and of these, 39 completed a follow-up survey at 6 months. The survey included measures of motivations to volunteer, satisfaction with role and with the organization, and fear of death and dying.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Repeated measures analyses indicated that motivations to volunteer remained stable over time while volunteer satisfaction increased with time. Baseline level of fears of death and dying varied by age, volunteer role, and motivations to volunteer and decreased at 6 months.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Volunteering in a residential hospice tends to be a satisfying experience that helps to allay fears about death and dying.
authors.affiliation: Department of Psychosocial Oncology and Palliative Care, Princess Margaret Cancer Centre, University Health Network, Toronto, Ontario, Canada Department of Psychiatry, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario, Canada rinat.nissim@uhn.ca.
authors.forename: Rinat
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Nissim
authors.affiliation: Kensington Hospice, Kensington Health, Toronto, Ontario, Canada.
authors.forename: Debbie
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Emmerson
authors.affiliation: Kensington Hospice, Kensington Health, Toronto, Ontario, Canada.
authors.forename: Bill
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: O'Neill
authors.affiliation: Department of Psychosocial Oncology and Palliative Care, Princess Margaret Cancer Centre, University Health Network, Toronto, Ontario, Canada Kensington Hospice, Kensington Health, Toronto, Ontario, Canada.
authors.forename: Katie
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Marchington
authors.affiliation: Department of Psychosocial Oncology and Palliative Care, Princess Margaret Cancer Centre, University Health Network, Toronto, Ontario, Canada Kensington Hospice, Kensington Health, Toronto, Ontario, Canada.
authors.forename: Haley
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Draper
authors.affiliation: Department of Psychosocial Oncology and Palliative Care, Princess Margaret Cancer Centre, University Health Network, Toronto, Ontario, Canada Department of Psychiatry, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario, Canada.
authors.forename: Gary
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Rodin
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D001293:Attitude to Death; D002170:Canada; D005260:Female; D006738:Hospices / Q000458:organization & administration*; D006801:Humans; D008137:Longitudinal Studies; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009042:Motivation; D010549:Personal Satisfaction; D011446:Prospective Studies; D014838:Volunteers / Q000523:psychology*; D055815:Young Adult
keywords: fears of death and dying; hospice; motivations to volunteer; volunteers