Volunteers: The Life-Line of Hospice

Abstract

Volunteers are an important component of hospice programs. They perform a variety of functions which are an essential part of the multi-dimensional approach to care. This study examined hospice volunteers' characteristics, motivations, preparedness, performance, satisfaction, and attitudes toward death. The volunteers were relatively young, well educated, in good health, and had a wide range of family incomes. They were motivated by their religious beliefs and personal experiences, and they saw their role as instrumental to the functioning of the program. After a training program, nearly two-thirds felt completely prepared for their jobs, and after some on-the-job experience, 86 percent felt capable of performing all of their duties. They were very satisfied with volunteering, but were most satisfied with assignments which involved direct contact with patients and families and with work in the hospital. They had a strong belief in life after death, and felt that grief and mourning rituals were very important.