older adults engaged as volunteers
DESCRIPTION
Presentation put together for an International Conference on gerontological social work (ICERT 2008)TRANSCRIPT
Older adults engaged as volunteers
Assistant Ramona BranUniversity of the West Timisoara
Facts
• Birth rates across Europe are falling
• Life expectancy is growing fewer and fewer working
people older adults will have to
work part-time or volunteer after retirement
Volunteerism
• Doing something for the community, without expecting any reward
• Formal• Informal
Why?
• Altruism• Gaining experience• Personal satisfaction• Sense of duty• Making connections• Improving the quality of
their life by improving the quality of the community
Who?
• Anyone can be a volunteer!
• No age limit!• No gender difference!• No difference in social
status!
Older adults as beneficiaries
• Medical care• Socio-cultural events• Access to information,
psychological and juridical counseling
Older adults as participants
TIME + EXPERIENCE
Benefits
• Better physical and mental health
Benefits
• Stronger intergenerational ties
Benefits
• Avoiding isolation and marginalization
Benefits
• Feeling motivated, useful, satisfied
Benefits
• Better family functioning
Challenges
• Old age = passivity• Mentalities
Romania’s Case
• Mainly informal volunteering
• Little evidence about formal volunteering involving older adults (Council of Seniors, Timisoara)
Time for a change
• Family roles (caregiving) complement, do not conflict with volunteering
• Volunteering: = substitute of professional
life= way of keeping up with times= involves the elderly gradually,
but actively and usefully
Thank you!
All photos were taken from flickr, under Creative Commons License