A Peer Education Programme for End of Life Education Among Older People and Their Carers

Project Duration

May 2007 - May 2009

Funder

Burdett Trust for Nursing (with additional funding from Help the Aged)

Aims

• To refine and extend a peer education programme for advance end of life care planning
• To assess appropriateness, impact and transferability for older adults, their family carers/next of kin and care staff in a range of care contexts and community groups

Methods

An action research framework underpins this project. Action research places emphasis on collaborative working between multiple partners in gaining practical knowledge to effect change. The project had an ongoing evaluation, conducted to facilitate the cycles of action and reflection necessary in action research to inform project progress. 

The project took place in four phases over two years: 

• Phase 1 involved a series of preliminary focus group discussions and/or workshops to discover views, concerns, experiences and information needs about end of life care
• Phase 2 involved the adaptation and refinement of an existing programme for training volunteers to become peer educators
• Phase 3 involved the delivery of the volunteer peer educator training programme
• Phase 4 involved the piloting of 'peer education' for end of life care by the volunteer peer educators within their communities

Outcomes and Findings

This study is now complete. In phase 1, we recruited 173 participants from community groups (n=5), care homes and extra care housing facilities (6) and cancer networks (2). One hundred and fourteen participants were older people (either members of community groups or residents in care homes/extra care housing facilities) and 59 were staff (23 qualified nurses and 36 care staff). We have wide ranging data relating to views, experiences and information needs in end of life care. 

In phases two-four, we adapted an existing peer education programme for training volunteers. 30 people (21 women, 9 men) participated in the programme, invited from phase 1. Evaluation activities/ forms were completed at the end of each training day. Follow up evaluations were conducted at four and six months post training, using structured questionnaires and focus groups. Further follow up at 12 months is planned. Findings suggest that we have developed a feasible intervention for community education in end of life care; but show that not all volunteers wish to sustain a role in community education of this type. 

Since completion of this study, the peer education training programme has been revised and was published in 2011 by the National End of Life Care Programme/Dying Matters Coalition as a resource for facilitators, with known uptake in London, Devon, the Midlands.