2025 Volume 28 Issue 2 Pages 4-12
Purpose: This study aims to clarify the experiences of commissioned welfare volunteers，hereinafter referred to as “welfare volunteers”，related to Advance Care Planning (ACP) for older people living alone in the community and to gain insights into collaboration with these volunteers.
Methods: Semi-structured interviews were conducted with nine current and former welfare volunteers in City A，Prefecture A，Japan. The interviews examined the process used by welfare volunteers to understand the wishes and intentions of older people living alone regarding end-of-life care，as well as the thoughts and considerations the volunteers formed throughout this process. The contents were analyzed qualitatively and descriptively.
Results: Five major categories were identified: [Building relationships with older people living alone], [Respecting the autonomy of older people living alone], [Understanding the true intentions of older people living alone], [Appreciating difficulties], and [Delegating to the appropriate person(s) considering one’s position].
Discussion: It was suggested that welfare volunteers can provide valuable information，from different perspectives and positions than those of professionals，regarding ACP for older people living alone，and contribute to understanding their intentions. However，when welfare volunteers engage in ACP，there are evident issues with psychological burdens，a lack of specialized knowledge，and challenges related to collecting and sharing personal information. Therefore，a collaborative framework is necessary in which professionals take the lead while leveraging the community-based perspectives and trusting relationships formed by welfare volunteers，and utilizing their expertise to complement ACP-related activities.
