A Feasibility Study of a Volunteer Navigation Program in the Palliative Context

This mixed methods longitudinal study evaluated Nav-CARE for feasibility, acceptability, ease of use, and satisfaction by older persons and volunteers.

Nine volunteer navigators visited 23 older persons with serious illness every 3 to 4 weeks for 1 year. Data were collected from volunteer navigators, and older person participants at baseline, during the year- long implementation and post implementation.

Volunteer navigators and older persons reported Nav-CARE was easy to use, feasible and acceptable. The majority of older persons agreed or strongly agreed that they were satisfied with the navigation services (100%; 8/8), that navigation services were important to them (87%; 7/8), that they would recommend the program to someone else (87%; 7/8), and would participate in the program again (75%; 6/8). Similarly, volunteer navigators reported 100% (9/9) satisfaction with the program, 100% (9/9) would recommend it to others, and 67% (6/8) would participate again.

Nav-CARE appears to be a feasible, acceptable, and satisfactory program for older persons with serious illness and volunteer navigators.