Employment Services, 80110 Joensuu, Finland.
Unit of Continuous Learning, Savonia University of Applied Sciences, 70210 Kuopio, Finland.
Int J Environ Res Public Health. 2022 Apr 23;19(9):5141. doi: 10.3390/ijerph19095141.
The aim of this qualitative study was to describe the factors that motivate older people to volunteer and how volunteering influences their social inclusion and communality. Data were collected using focus group interviews in 2020-2021 from older people aged 65-81 years ( = 38) who had experience of volunteering in the community. The data were analyzed using inductive content analysis. Based on the results, the experiences described by older people who participate in volunteering consisted of factors encouraging older people to volunteer and depended on the activation, support, and motivation of volunteer operators. The support provided by the health care services and volunteer action organization for volunteers was a key factor in encouraging older people to participate in volunteering. Moreover, volunteering impacted the communality of volunteers in several ways, influencing social capital. The sense of communality was enhanced by the way in which volunteering was carried out, including collaboration with health care services and associations. In order to strengthen the importance of volunteering in society, there is a need for close collaboration between voluntary organizations and health care service providers to develop volunteering because health care organizations cannot respond to all of the challenges faced by the ageing population.
本定性研究的目的是描述促使老年人参与志愿服务的因素，以及志愿服务如何影响他们的社会包容和社区参与。2020 年至 2021 年期间，采用焦点小组访谈的方式，从有社区志愿服务经验的 65-81 岁老年人（=38 人）中收集数据。采用归纳内容分析法对数据进行分析。结果表明，参与志愿服务的老年人所描述的经历包括鼓励老年人参与志愿服务的因素，这些因素取决于志愿者经营者的激活、支持和激励。医疗服务和志愿者行动组织为志愿者提供的支持是鼓励老年人参与志愿服务的关键因素。此外，志愿服务以多种方式影响志愿者的社区参与，影响社会资本。志愿服务的开展方式，包括与医疗服务和协会的合作，增强了社区感。为了加强志愿服务在社会中的重要性，志愿组织和医疗服务提供者之间需要密切合作，发展志愿服务，因为医疗组织无法应对人口老龄化带来的所有挑战。
