Facilitating volunteer engagement among older adults in social services: A case study of an innovative timebank program in a Chinese society

Shiyu Lu; Cheryl Chui; Terry Lum

doi:10.1093/geront/gnad010

Facilitating volunteer engagement among older adults in social services: A case study of an innovative timebank program in a Chinese society

Shiyu Lu
, Cheryl Chui^*
, Terry Lum

^*Corresponding author for this work

Department of Social and Behavioural Sciences

Research output: Journal Publications and Reviews › RGC 21 - Publication in refereed journal › peer-review

20 Citations (Scopus)

Abstract

Background and Objectives: Exploring the roles of older adults as volunteers in social care settings has attracted wide attention to facilitate

healthy aging and tackle care workforce constraints. However, there is little knowledge of the mechanism of engaging older adults as volunteers

in the social care sector.

Research Design and Methods: The study applies a case study to describe the features of an innovative timebank project, Good Hands, and

explore the underlying mechanism of engaging older adults as volunteers in the social care sector. Three focus groups were conducted with

12 older adult volunteers and 6 advisory group members. Thematic analysis was applied to code and analyze the content of the focus group

interviews.

Results: Three emergent themes were identified as critical components: strong cross-sector collaboration, meaningfulness in voluntary work

comprising 4 subthemes (including capacity optimization, care capacity enhancement, cultivating belonging, and value recognition), and a coproducing environment.

Discussion and Implications: Volunteer engagement of older adults in the provision of welfare for community-based care for frail peers is

discussed, and practice implications are presented.

Original language	English
Article number	gnad010
Journal	The Gerontologist
Volume	64
Issue number	1
Online published	9 Feb 2023
DOIs	https://doi.org/10.1093/geront/gnad010
Publication status	Published - Jan 2024

Funding

This work is fully supported by a research project led by Dr. Shiyu LU (Email address: [email protected]) as the Principal Investigator, which was entitled “Effects of the TimeBank Program on Promoting Voluntary Participation among Older Adults” and funded by the Hong Kong Research Grants Council, University Grants Committee General Research Fund (Reference No: 17614820).

Research Keywords

Productive aging
Volunteering
Community care for older adults
Asia

RGC Funding Information

RGC-funded

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10.1093/geront/gnad010

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Check CityUHK Library

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@article{93ac815f5cc6480384eb0ede6e4993ef,

title = "Facilitating volunteer engagement among older adults in social services: A case study of an innovative timebank program in a Chinese society",

abstract = "Background and Objectives: Exploring the roles of older adults as volunteers in social care settings has attracted wide attention to facilitatehealthy aging and tackle care workforce constraints. However, there is little knowledge of the mechanism of engaging older adults as volunteersin the social care sector. Research Design and Methods: The study applies a case study to describe the features of an innovative timebank project, Good Hands, andexplore the underlying mechanism of engaging older adults as volunteers in the social care sector. Three focus groups were conducted with12 older adult volunteers and 6 advisory group members. Thematic analysis was applied to code and analyze the content of the focus groupinterviews. Results: Three emergent themes were identified as critical components: strong cross-sector collaboration, meaningfulness in voluntary workcomprising 4 subthemes (including capacity optimization, care capacity enhancement, cultivating belonging, and value recognition), and a coproducing environment. Discussion and Implications: Volunteer engagement of older adults in the provision of welfare for community-based care for frail peers isdiscussed, and practice implications are presented. {\textcopyright} The Author(s) 2023. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of The Gerontological Society of America. All rights reserved.",

keywords = "Productive aging, Volunteering, Community care for older adults, Asia",

author = "Shiyu Lu and Cheryl Chui and Terry Lum",

year = "2024",

month = jan,

doi = "10.1093/geront/gnad010",

language = "English",

volume = "64",

journal = "The Gerontologist",

issn = "0016-9013",

publisher = "Gerontological Society of America",

number = "1",

}

TY - JOUR

T1 - Facilitating volunteer engagement among older adults in social services

T2 - A case study of an innovative timebank program in a Chinese society

AU - Lu, Shiyu

AU - Chui, Cheryl

AU - Lum, Terry

PY - 2024/1

Y1 - 2024/1

N2 - Background and Objectives: Exploring the roles of older adults as volunteers in social care settings has attracted wide attention to facilitatehealthy aging and tackle care workforce constraints. However, there is little knowledge of the mechanism of engaging older adults as volunteersin the social care sector. Research Design and Methods: The study applies a case study to describe the features of an innovative timebank project, Good Hands, andexplore the underlying mechanism of engaging older adults as volunteers in the social care sector. Three focus groups were conducted with12 older adult volunteers and 6 advisory group members. Thematic analysis was applied to code and analyze the content of the focus groupinterviews. Results: Three emergent themes were identified as critical components: strong cross-sector collaboration, meaningfulness in voluntary workcomprising 4 subthemes (including capacity optimization, care capacity enhancement, cultivating belonging, and value recognition), and a coproducing environment. Discussion and Implications: Volunteer engagement of older adults in the provision of welfare for community-based care for frail peers isdiscussed, and practice implications are presented. © The Author(s) 2023. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of The Gerontological Society of America. All rights reserved.

AB - Background and Objectives: Exploring the roles of older adults as volunteers in social care settings has attracted wide attention to facilitatehealthy aging and tackle care workforce constraints. However, there is little knowledge of the mechanism of engaging older adults as volunteersin the social care sector. Research Design and Methods: The study applies a case study to describe the features of an innovative timebank project, Good Hands, andexplore the underlying mechanism of engaging older adults as volunteers in the social care sector. Three focus groups were conducted with12 older adult volunteers and 6 advisory group members. Thematic analysis was applied to code and analyze the content of the focus groupinterviews. Results: Three emergent themes were identified as critical components: strong cross-sector collaboration, meaningfulness in voluntary workcomprising 4 subthemes (including capacity optimization, care capacity enhancement, cultivating belonging, and value recognition), and a coproducing environment. Discussion and Implications: Volunteer engagement of older adults in the provision of welfare for community-based care for frail peers isdiscussed, and practice implications are presented. © The Author(s) 2023. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of The Gerontological Society of America. All rights reserved.

KW - Productive aging

KW - Volunteering

KW - Community care for older adults

KW - Asia

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U2 - 10.1093/geront/gnad010

DO - 10.1093/geront/gnad010

M3 - RGC 21 - Publication in refereed journal

SN - 0016-9013

VL - 64

JO - The Gerontologist

JF - The Gerontologist

IS - 1

M1 - gnad010

ER -

Facilitating volunteer engagement among older adults in social services: A case study of an innovative timebank program in a Chinese society

Abstract

Funding

Research Keywords

RGC Funding Information

Access Output

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GRF: The Effects of the TimeBank Program on Promoting Voluntary Participation among Older Adults

Timebanks and social care for older people

Cite this

Facilitating volunteer engagement among older adults in social services: A case study of an innovative timebank program in a Chinese society

Abstract

Funding

Research Keywords

RGC Funding Information

Access Output

Other Access Options

Permanent Link

Other Files and Links

Fingerprint

Projects

GRF: The Effects of the TimeBank Program on Promoting Voluntary Participation among Older Adults

Activities

Timebanks and social care for older people

Cite this