Community - Based Palliative Care by Volunteers : Perceptions of Village Health Volunteers in a Community of Khon Kaen Province

Abstract

Background and objective : Caring for palliative patients at home is a hard work. Relative caregiver sometimes become burnout. Community volunteers play an alternative role in community – based palliative care. The aim of this study was to explore the perceptions from village health volunteers in a community of Khon Kaen province about community – based palliative care by volunteers.

Methods : This was a qualitative research among the village health volunteers in Samleum 1 community of Khon Kaen province. The total number was 27. For processing of data collection, the in-depth interview and focus group discussion were performed to elicit village health volunteer’s perceptions about community - based palliative care. The data was collected between March 2012 and May 2012. Content analysis was done.

Results : This study revealed that their perceptions about community - based palliative care were divided into three issues. 1) View point of village health volunteers about community - based palliative care were home visits for canvass, encourage, patients’ care and advise. 2) Barriers include knowledge incompetence, lack of patients’ trust, patient or their relative expressed dissatisfaction with the village health volunteers’ home visit and village health volunteers did not have time enough to care palliative patients at home. 3) Explicit needs include knowledge and home visits with health care workers

Conclusion : Village health volunteers interest in community - based palliative care but still need assistance from health care workers for the development of both knowledge and experience in communication and palliative care.

Key words : perceptions, village health volunteers, community - based palliative care, community