Motivations that Sustain the Work of Volunteers in Community Based Palliative Care: A Qualitative Exploration

Countries like India where there is a greater burden on public health care system, due to high population rates, have highest potential to use volunteering as an alternative to increasing human resource demand. Community based palliative care model is one of the successful models of extending health care services which necessarily involves the work of volunteers in a community. This model has been very successful in the Indian state of Kerala. The aim of the study was to identify the factors which actively motivate and sustain the work of volunteers in community based palliative care. Case study research design was employed in this study. The current study identifies altruism, spirituality, personal experiences and better social relationships as the prime motivations of volunteers in community based palliative care. Identification of volunteer motivations would better help in devising sustainable participatory health care programmes.