earticle

영어

Older people are stereotyped as ‘takers’ rather than ‘givers’ despite much evidence that volunteering, caring and neighbouring by older people make a vital contribution to families, communities and society as a whole. In partnership with Newcastle University in the UK, the charity Age Concern Newcastle embarked on an innovative research project funded by the Big Lottery to fill the knowledge gap that exists in relation to aspects of volunteering in later life. Utilising qualitative data from in-depth interviews and triangulating this with survey results, it looks at the ways in which interviewees manage their volunteering amidst their other commitments that include volunteering in other organisations, informal volunteering, grand-parenting, caring for older relatives and their own health needs. The research aids our understanding of the conditions under which older people will agree to volunteer and the constraints that impact on their volunteering.