‘Without Them, There Would Be Almost Nothing’ - Experiences of Interacting With Volunteers in Everyday Life in Nursing Homes – Perspectives of Residents and Next of Kin

Abstract

The study’s aim is to explore the experiences of nursing home residents and their next of kin related to interacting with volunteers in daily life and when the resident’s death is imminent. Qualitative data consisted of 130 hours of participant observations in three nursing homes and 13 interviews with five residents and eight next of kin. A thematic analysis identified three themes: (1) Social everyday activities - a frame for responsiveness and meaningful everydayness - reflecting the existential dimension of these activities; (2) Time - contrasting volunteers’ time for care activities and bedside support to dying residents with professionals’ time for similar activities; and (3) Valuable relief when death is imminent - inherent ethical dilemmas - reflecting potential tension between the valuable relief volunteers provide and the preferences of residents and their next of kin. Volunteers can promote and improve a holistic palliative care approach for residents in nursing homes.