TY - JOUR
T1 - Volunteer Programs Supporting People with Dementia/Delirium in Hospital
T2 - Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis
AU - Pritchard, Elizabeth
AU - Soh, Sze-Ee
AU - Morello, Renata Teresa
AU - Berkovic, Danielle
AU - Blair, Annaliese
AU - Anderson, Katrina J.
AU - Bateman, Catherine
AU - Moran, Chris
AU - Tsindos, Tess
AU - O'Donnell, Renee
AU - Ayton, Darshini R
N1 - Publisher Copyright:
© 2020 The Author(s) 2020. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of The Gerontological Society of America. All rights reserved.
PY - 2021/12
Y1 - 2021/12
N2 - Background and Objectives: Volunteer-delivered programs to assist people with dementia and/or delirium in-hospital can provide person-centered one-on-one support in addition to usual care. These programs could mitigate hospital resource demands; however, their effectiveness is unknown. This review evaluated literature of volunteer programs in acute hospital settings for people living with dementia and/or delirium. Research Design and Methods: Four databases were searched. Studies that reported patient or program outcomes were included (i.e., delirium incidence, length of stay, number of falls, satisfaction). Risk of bias was completed. Meta-analysis was performed where 2 or more studies measured the same outcome. Narrative synthesis was performed on the qualitative results. Results: Eleven studies were included in the review, with varied design, participant groups and outcomes measured. Risk of bias averaged 71%. Volunteer-delivered programs addressed delirium risk factors, for example, hydration/nutrition, mobility, use of sensory aids. Eight patients and 6 program outcomes were captured, but only 3 patient outcomes could be pooled. Meta-analyses demonstrated a reduction in delirium incidence (rate ratio = 0.65; 95% confidence interval [CI] 0.47, 0.90) but no reduction in length of stay (mean difference -1.09; 95% CI -0.58, 2.77) or number of falls (rate ratio = 0.67; 95% CI 0.19, 2.35). Narrative synthesis identified benefits to patients (e.g., less loneliness), volunteers (sense of meaning), and staff (timesaving, safety). Discussion and Implications: Volunteer-delivered programs for inpatients with dementia and/or delirium may provide benefits for patients, volunteers, and staff. However, studies conducted with more robust designs are required to determine overall effectiveness on program outcomes. Further high-quality research appropriate for this vulnerable population is required to identify volunteer program effectiveness.
AB - Background and Objectives: Volunteer-delivered programs to assist people with dementia and/or delirium in-hospital can provide person-centered one-on-one support in addition to usual care. These programs could mitigate hospital resource demands; however, their effectiveness is unknown. This review evaluated literature of volunteer programs in acute hospital settings for people living with dementia and/or delirium. Research Design and Methods: Four databases were searched. Studies that reported patient or program outcomes were included (i.e., delirium incidence, length of stay, number of falls, satisfaction). Risk of bias was completed. Meta-analysis was performed where 2 or more studies measured the same outcome. Narrative synthesis was performed on the qualitative results. Results: Eleven studies were included in the review, with varied design, participant groups and outcomes measured. Risk of bias averaged 71%. Volunteer-delivered programs addressed delirium risk factors, for example, hydration/nutrition, mobility, use of sensory aids. Eight patients and 6 program outcomes were captured, but only 3 patient outcomes could be pooled. Meta-analyses demonstrated a reduction in delirium incidence (rate ratio = 0.65; 95% confidence interval [CI] 0.47, 0.90) but no reduction in length of stay (mean difference -1.09; 95% CI -0.58, 2.77) or number of falls (rate ratio = 0.67; 95% CI 0.19, 2.35). Narrative synthesis identified benefits to patients (e.g., less loneliness), volunteers (sense of meaning), and staff (timesaving, safety). Discussion and Implications: Volunteer-delivered programs for inpatients with dementia and/or delirium may provide benefits for patients, volunteers, and staff. However, studies conducted with more robust designs are required to determine overall effectiveness on program outcomes. Further high-quality research appropriate for this vulnerable population is required to identify volunteer program effectiveness.
KW - Person-centered care
KW - Quality of care
KW - Satisfaction
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=85103958251&partnerID=8YFLogxK
U2 - 10.1093/geront/gnaa058
DO - 10.1093/geront/gnaa058
M3 - Review Article
AN - SCOPUS:85103958251
SN - 1758-5341
VL - 61
SP - e421-e434
JO - The Gerontologist
JF - The Gerontologist
IS - 8
ER -
