"It Was Very Rewarding for Me …": Senior Volunteers' Experiences With Implementing a Reminiscence and Creative...

Area of Science:

• Gerontology
• Palliative Care
• Volunteerism

Background:

• Community-based participatory research is crucial for effective interventions.
• Engaging retired senior volunteers (RSVs) offers a unique resource for healthcare support.

Purpose of the Study:

• To describe the recruitment, training, and retention of retired senior volunteers (RSVs) as interventionists.
• To evaluate the delivery of a reminiscence and creative activity intervention to palliative care patients and caregivers.

Main Methods:

• Utilized a community-based participatory research framework with Senior Corps RSV programs.
• Employed recruitment meetings, feedback groups, and a 4-hour training session with role-playing.
• Conducted qualitative descriptive analysis of recruitment/feedback groups and exit interviews with RSVs.

Main Results:

• Identified key themes in volunteer recruitment, including intervention process, patient health concerns, and perceived intervention benefits.
• Twelve RSVs met performance criteria, with high retention and willingness to continue.
• RSVs reported positive and negative experiences, provided recommendations, and found the work meaningful.

Conclusions:

• Retired senior volunteers positively impacted palliative care dyads and gained personal fulfillment.
• Further research should focus on cost-effective translation and long-term effects on volunteer well-being.