A Feasibility Study of a Volunteer Navigation Program in the Palliative Context

Older persons with serious illnesses living in rural communities are an underserved population. They often live with heavy symptom burden and poor quality of life with limited access to resources. Nav-CARE (Navigation: Connecting Accessing Resourcing and Engaging) was developed to specially train and mentor volunteer navigators who help connect older persons with serious illness to the resources and information they need. AIMS: This mixed methods longitudinal study evaluated Nav-CARE for feasibility, acceptability, ease of use, and satisfaction by older persons and volunteers. METHODS: Nine volunteer navigators visited 23 older persons with serious illness every 3 to 4 weeks for 1 year. Data were collected from volunteer navigators, and older person participants at baseline, during the year- long implementation and post implementation. RESULTS: Volunteer navigators and older persons reported Nav-CARE was easy to use, feasible and acceptable. The majority of older persons agreed or strongly agreed that they were satisfied with the navigation services (100%; 8/8), that navigation services were important to them (87%; 7/8), that they would recommend the program to someone else (87%; 7/8), and would participate in the program again (75%; 6/8). Similarly, volunteer navigators reported 100% (9/9) satisfaction with the program, 100% (9/9) would recommend it to others, and 67% (6/8) would participate again. CONCLUSIONS: Nav-CARE appears to be a feasible, acceptable, and satisfactory program for older persons with serious illness and volunteer navigators.