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What are the personal and social factors that influence older adults’ engagement in volunteer work, what barriers and challenges do they face, and how can we better support and facilitate their participation?

Our research shows that within palliative care volunteering, the age demographic skews older. Understanding of the motivations and challenges associated with volunteering among older adults can help us better plan our organisational practises.

Recently, The Centre for Volunteering released some supplementary reports to accompany their 2023 NSW State of Volunteering Report. One of these reports is on Older Persons and Volunteering, giving us insights into this area of interest.

In 2023, 54.5% of NSW residents aged 65 and over, or 812,200 people, contributed to the community as volunteers. This amounted to 178.3 million hours of volunteering.

Participants of the study felt that older people brought a wealth of skills and life experience to volunteering roles. They felt that older people had a different relationship with time and were more patient. Older people self-identified as having more emotional and life maturity. Some participants also felt that older people were more accepting and open-minded about what people could contribute to a group.

A common misconceptions about older people and volunteering, the study found, were that older adults are, by default, physically limited in their ability to perform volunteer tasks. Another common misconception challenged was the idea that older adults are resistant to change or unwilling to embrace new roles. Participants argued that many older volunteers are eager to learn and adapt.

The presumption that older people are not tech-savvy was also examined. While participants acknowledged that some older volunteers face challenges with technology, they also noted that a small but significant number of older volunteers are quite tech-literate and interested in using technology.

We should recognise and value the wide range of skills and experiences that older volunteers bring to their roles. Ultimately, cultivating a culture that values and supports older volunteers will contribute to more resilient, connected communities across New South Wales, benefiting individuals of all ages and society as a whole.

Please click here to read the full report and recommendations.