Massage Therapy in Hospice and Palliative Care (Research, Video 3:35)

When I reached over and held my hospice patient’s hand, she smiled saying, “Now, that’s nice.” This simple meeting of skin and energy represented her treasure for the day, week, month, or whatever amount of time had passed since her last encounter with physical affection from another human being. For many patients in nursing homes, these moments seldom came.

Although little research on the use of touch with older adults has been done, it is obvious that touching can be a positive form of communication. But touch can do so much more. When used during massage therapy with older adults, particularly those receiving hospice-palliative care, touching can improve their quality of life significantly on several levels. The Gerontology Department at the University of Kentucky compared self-reported health outcome scores among older adults regarding their use of massage therapy. Those who reported massage therapy usage in the past year had significantly better health outcome scores in the following domains:

1)  Emotional well-being 

2)  Limitations due to physical issues  

3)  Limitations due to emotional issues

These research results reinforce the beneficial role massage can play in hospice-palliative care.

This video from Everflowing showcases a touch exercise during a hospice caregivers’ training workshop. Irene Smith, who believes the healing of touch is reciprocal, narrates “The Language of Touch.” 

Frances Shani Parker, Author

Becoming Dead Right: A Hospice Volunteer in Urban Nursing Homes is available in paperback at many booksellers in America and other countries and in e-book form at Amazon and Barnes and Noble booksellers.

Hospice and Nursing Homes Blog

Where Are All the Men (Hospice-Palliative Volunteers)?

When hospice-palliative volunteers look around the room during a typical meeting, it becomes obvious that women volunteer at a higher rate. This is not to say there aren’t great male volunteers, but more diversity in this area would be beneficial. Volunteers are motivated for various reasons such as serving and socializing with patients, pursuing career goals, and feeling good about themselves. But, if the rewards are so wonderful, why aren't more men joining? Fortunately, research reported in the “American Journal of Hospice and Palliative Medicine®” sheds light on this phenomenon with an emphasis on middle-aged and older men:

1) After 68 men read a brief description of the kinds of activities that hospice-palliative care volunteers do, 20% expressed an interest in this type of volunteerism. Those who were not interested stated such reasons as "being too busy" and "not being able to handle it emotionally." One third of the men who said they were not interested in becoming volunteers did express an interest in 10 of 13 other common volunteer activities such as driving.

2) After 59 men were presented with a list of 25 volunteer tasks from which they could choose, the men were least willing to serve on the board of directors (28%), provide hands-on patient care (38%), and work in the volunteer program's office (42%).

Men were most willing to talk to patients (97%), share hobbies and interests with patients (92%), listen to patients’ memories and life stories (90%), and provide friendship and companionship (88%).

These are the facts straight from men themselves. Hopefully, this information makes preferences of many potential male volunteers clearer. Volunteer coordinators can consider these male motivations as part of their recruitment strategies leading to more diversity.

Frances Shani Parker, Author
"Becoming Dead Right: A Hospice Volunteer in Urban Nursing Homes”
“Hospice and Nursing Homes Blog”

Impact of Hospice-Palliative Care Service on Volunteers (Sarah House Video 4:45 mins.)

People sometimes make untrue assumptions about hospice-palliative care volunteers. A common one is that we are all depressed saints. They probably say this because death in our society has so much sadness surrounding it. The truth is that most of us don’t find hospice volunteering depressing at all. I know it has made me a better person.

Recent research made me consider more specific ways that volunteering impacts lives of direct-patient care volunteers. Results were gathered through in-depth interviews. These are some of the findings:

1) Over half of the participants became volunteers because of previous death experiences with friends or family.

2) Most volunteers said they had been changed, that their outlook on life had changed, and that they learned the importance of living one day at a time.

3) Volunteers found ways to prevent compassion fatigue or burnout.

4) Volunteers said they would encourage others to volunteer.

5) Many volunteers offered suggestions for changing their programs.

Only 23 volunteers were interviewed for this study. I would have preferred that there were more. However, I think these five general findings can still be applied to a broad section of volunteers. Differences in demographics, culture, personalities, etc. would be more evident during discussions of specifics, particularly regarding numbers 3 and 5. Discussion among volunteers and their managers about these kinds of issues and more provide the open communication that enriches the workplace culture.

You can read more here about this study reported in the “American Journal of Hospice Palliative Care.”

This video features Sarah House, a "social model" hospice dedicated to end-of-life care for homeless and low-income residents, including those with AIDS who may or may not be near death. Sarah House is located in Santa Barbara, California.

Frances Shani Parker, Author
"Becoming Dead Right: A Hospice Volunteer in Urban Nursing Homes”
Hospice and Nursing Homes Blog