• Iris Luzie Schaefer and Stephan Dorschner.
• Fachhochschule Jena, Georg-Streiter-Institut für Pflegewissenschaft. iris.schaefer@fh-jena.de
• Pflege. 2007 Jun 1; 20 (3): 129-36.

AbstractDue to demographic change and increase of dementia there is an obvious need of voluntary hospice helpers who support dementia patients. The aim of this qualitative study was to describe the experience and challenges of hospice volunteers supporting dementia patients. The results were taken into account in the development of a training course. Ten narrative interviews were conducted with voluntary hospice helpers. The audiotaped interviews were analysed according to an interpretative phenomenological method. Three main issues, each consisting of three catagories, emerged from the interview data. The voluntary hospice helpers experience different facets and the progress of dementia ("to experience the process"). They provide a pleasant change in everyday life of and express their solidarity with dementia patients ("to create a good atmosphere"). They empathetically support dementia patients without expecting anything in return and they benefit from their work with dying people ("to put one's own interests last"). Voluntary hospice helpers offer important support for dementia patients but their role in the interdisciplinary team has to be defined. Training courses are useful to improve interaction and reflection skills.

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