VOLUNTEERS IN-HOSPITAL AND HOME CARE - A PRECIOUS RESOURCE

Aims and background: Ten years ago, a program of intervention by volun teers in cancer hospitals and at home was started. Home care is accomp lished by teams of palliative care givers, in which volunteers are inc luded. After a selective interview, all voluntary candidates with the necessary qualifications are trained and specific apprenticeship is do ne. Hence, their professional training is carried out through regular groups of supervision followed by a psychologist and a coordinator. A study was carried out to evaluate the activity of volunteers, in the h ospital and at home, as judged by patients, nurses and the volunteers themselves. Methods: On the whole, the data analyzed concerned 216 pat ients, 163 nurses and 92 volunteers in the hospital and 30 patients, 1 6 nurses and 35 volunteers at home. The questionnaires used for the st udy had four possible answers (no, a little, much, very much) or requi red an answer on a scale of 0 to 10. Results: A high quota of patients gave a very positive opinion (''much'' or ''very much'') on the impor tance of the presence of volunteers in the hospital (76%) and at home (90%). In the second case, volunteers were particularly useful to impr ove a patient's mood (80%) and to solve practical problems (47%). Gene ral agreement was noted among nurses and volunteers on the activity of the latter. The main form of intervention of all volunteers is to giv e psychosocial support to patients. A score of 7 to 10 was given to th is item by 60% of the nurses and by 82% of the hospital volunteers. At home, respectively 80% and 89% gave such a score for the same item. O ther activities of the volunteer were support for the family, assistan ce in social activities, and to give information. Conclusions: The pre sence of the volunteer in the hospital and at home appears to be helpf ul to the patient and the family by becoming part of the team without becoming involved directly in its clinical activity.