Skip to main page content
U.S. flag

An official website of the United States government

Dot gov

The .gov means it’s official.
Federal government websites often end in .gov or .mil. Before sharing sensitive information, make sure you’re on a federal government site.

Https

The site is secure.
The https:// ensures that you are connecting to the official website and that any information you provide is encrypted and transmitted securely.

Access keys NCBI Homepage MyNCBI Homepage Main Content Main Navigation
. 2022 Nov-Dec:48:94-102.
doi: 10.1016/j.gerinurse.2022.09.001. Epub 2022 Sep 22.

A program for volunteers accompanying older patients with cognitive dysfunction to improve the quality of emergency department care: A pilot study

Ulrike A Gisch  1 , Eike Ahlers  2 , Denise Lee  3 , Isabella Heuser-Collier  4 , Rajan Somasundaram  5
Affiliations

A program for volunteers accompanying older patients with cognitive dysfunction to improve the quality of emergency department care: A pilot study

Ulrike A Gisch et al. Geriatr Nurs. 2022 Nov-Dec.

Abstract

Admission to an emergency department (ED) is challenging for older patients with cognitive dysfunction (PWCD). Targeted patient-oriented approaches to improve the care for PWCD are needed. The aim of this pilot study was to design and evaluate a program for volunteers to support PWCD in the ED. Volunteers (N = 9) first received a training and during the following six months (N = 90 shifts), they accompanied PWCD (N = 112) during their stay. Results showed that the training increased volunteers' knowledge and expertise, but not shift-related self-efficacy. The most frequent strategies applied were conversations, holding hands and touching, and providing food and drinks. After six months, volunteers reported a great sense of meaningfulness and felt that they were highly appreciated by the patients. ED nurses' sceptical attitudes towards the program decreased. The program is beneficial for PWCD, appears to be meaningful for volunteers and is appreciated by ED nurses.

Keywords: Cognitive dysfunction; Delirium; Dementia; Emergency medicine; Geriatric nursing; Hospital volunteers; Program evaluation.

PubMed Disclaimer