European Volunteer Voices in Palliative Care: A Qualitative Analysis

 
Dr. Ros Scott, Prof. Anne Goossensen,
Prof. Sheila Payne, Mag. Leena Pelttari, MSc
EAPC Task Force on Volunteering
 
The voice of European volunteers:
A qualitative analysis of accounts of
volunteering in palliative care contexts
 
Background and Aims
 
Volunteer voices not often heard directly
 
Aims of the project:
 
Explore what volunteering in hospice and palliative
care means to volunteers.
 
Explore the similarities and differences in European
volunteers activities and meanings.
 
Methodology
 
Approached contacts in eight countries
 
Each 5 volunteer stories (400-500 words) 
 own language
 
Two questions as framework
“What do you do as a volunteer?”
“What does volunteering mean to you?”
 
Translated into English
 
Framework analysis
 
36 Stories 
 8 countries
 
 
Austria
 Finland
 France
 Germany
 Italy
 Netherlands
 Poland
 UK
 
 
FINDINGS
 
Context
 
 
Gender of participants:
20 female
6 male
10 did not state
 
Settings: hospice ward, day hospice, patients’
homes, hospital palliative care wards
 
Volunteer Activities
 
 
Direct patient care and support
 
Family support
 
Bereavement support
 
Religious and faith activities
 
Organisational support
 
How activities are performed
without
judgment
“presence”
empathy”
being
sensitive”
not to seek
anything”
“silence”
quietly and
lovingly”
observe
quietly”
with all
my heart”
 
Volunteering and meaning
 
Six key themes:
 
Giving meaning to own life
: learning from patients, from
sorrow, staying grounded, inner peace, “a richer, grateful
person”
 
Growing through making connections
: open to fears,
hopes, stories of others, being with, acknowledging
uniqueness of others.
 
Volunteering and meaning 2
 
Brings new perspectives
: new ways to understand
sickness, sorrow and death, complexity/uniqueness of
death, material things less important.
 
Providing comfort in moments that count
:
 work
emotionally heavy, “leaves marks on my soul”, difficult
being with someone dying, negative impact 
 more
restless and impatient.
 
 
Volunteering and meaning 3
 
 
Personal development/achievement: 
building
confidence, learning from mistakes, more tolerant and
forgiving, “value in personal growth from volunteering”
 
 
Grateful and privileged 
being part of lives at vulnerable
moments, privileged to accompany dying people,
“thankful..I am allowed to be there”
 
Less common themes
 
 
Activities: 
counselling patients- living will, massage,
taking patients to see home for last time.
 
How: 
“And we laugh, too – to be honest, we laugh a lot”, “a
laugh can be liberating in many situations".
 
Meaning: 
volunteering
 
“as an act of solidarity”, a gift”
“does nor mean much to me
not about solving your own
problems”
 
Conclusion
 
 
Collecting personal stories from volunteers across Europe
highlights some similarities of experience and shared
values.
An understanding of motivations and meaning can help
HPC organisations to improve support and maximise
volunteer contributions.
 
THANK YOU
 
Please sign the EAPC Charter on Volunteering at
http://bit.ly/EAPCVolunteeringCharter
 
To contact us for more information on the stories project:
r.z.scott@dundee.ac.uk
Slide Note
Embed
Share

This study delves into the experiences and perspectives of volunteers in hospice and palliative care across eight European countries. Through qualitative analysis, the research uncovers the diverse activities, meanings, and impact of volunteering in these sensitive contexts. Volunteer narratives reveal themes of personal growth, connection with patients and families, and finding meaning in the face of suffering and loss.

  • European volunteers
  • Palliative care
  • Qualitative analysis
  • Volunteer experiences
  • Hospice settings

Uploaded on Aug 31, 2024 | 0 Views


Download Presentation

Please find below an Image/Link to download the presentation.

The content on the website is provided AS IS for your information and personal use only. It may not be sold, licensed, or shared on other websites without obtaining consent from the author. Download presentation by click this link. If you encounter any issues during the download, it is possible that the publisher has removed the file from their server.

E N D

Presentation Transcript


  1. The voice of European volunteers: A qualitative analysis of accounts of volunteering in palliative care contexts Dr. Ros Scott, Prof. Anne Goossensen, Prof. Sheila Payne, Mag. Leena Pelttari, MSc EAPC Task Force on Volunteering

  2. Background and Aims Volunteer voices not often heard directly Aims of the project: Explore what volunteering in hospice and palliative care means to volunteers. Explore the similarities and differences in European volunteers activities and meanings.

  3. Methodology Approached contacts in eight countries Each 5 volunteer stories (400-500 words) own language Two questions as framework What do you do as a volunteer? What does volunteering mean to you? Translated into English Framework analysis

  4. 36 Stories 8 countries Austria Finland France Germany Italy Netherlands Poland UK

  5. FINDINGS

  6. Context Gender of participants: 20 female 6 male 10 did not state Settings: hospice ward, day hospice, patients homes, hospital palliative care wards

  7. Volunteer Activities Direct patient care and support Family support Bereavement support Religious and faith activities Organisational support

  8. How activities are performed without judgment presence silence empathy quietly and lovingly observe quietly being sensitive with all my heart not to seek anything

  9. Volunteering and meaning Six key themes: Giving meaning to own life: learning from patients, from sorrow, staying grounded, inner peace, a richer, grateful person Growing through making connections: open to fears, hopes, stories of others, being with, acknowledging uniqueness of others.

  10. Volunteering and meaning 2 Brings new perspectives: new ways to understand sickness, sorrow and death, complexity/uniqueness of death, material things less important. Providing comfort in moments that count: work emotionally heavy, leaves marks on my soul , difficult being with someone dying, negative impact more restless and impatient.

  11. Volunteering and meaning 3 Personal development/achievement: building confidence, learning from mistakes, more tolerant and forgiving, value in personal growth from volunteering Grateful and privileged being part of lives at vulnerable moments, privileged to accompany dying people, thankful..I am allowed to be there

  12. Less common themes Activities: counselling patients- living will, massage, taking patients to see home for last time. How: And we laugh, too to be honest, we laugh a lot , a laugh can be liberating in many situations". Meaning: volunteering as an act of solidarity , a gift does nor mean much to me not about solving your own problems

  13. Conclusion Collecting personal stories from volunteers across Europe highlights some similarities of experience and shared values. An understanding of motivations and meaning can help HPC organisations to improve support and maximise volunteer contributions.

  14. THANK YOU To contact us for more information on the stories project: r.z.scott@dundee.ac.uk Please sign the EAPC Charter on Volunteering at http://bit.ly/EAPCVolunteeringCharter

Related


More Related Content

giItT1WQy@!-/#giItT1WQy@!-/#giItT1WQy@!-/#giItT1WQy@!-/#