Volunteers in hospital-based case management programs.

Abstract

This article examines the use of volunteers within hospital-based long-term care case management programs. As hospitals diversify into long-term care, the roles played by volunteers are also diversifying. A brief description of the involvement of volunteers with the frail elderly is followed by a comparison of the roles and relationships of volunteers within existing hospital auxiliaries and long-term care case management programs. Three models for structuring hospital-based volunteer programs that address the needs of the frail elderly within diverse communities are presented. Implications surrounding the involvement of volunteers beyond hospital walls are discussed.