Volunteer Retirement and Well-being: Evidence from Older Adult Volunteers

A large body of evidence has demonstrated a connection between volunteering and improved well-being, especially among older adults, without fully considering the implications of transitioning out of volunteering. While volunteers represent an important resource for many organizations, working with older adult volunteers also presents a unique set of considerations for volunteer administrators and other staff. Building on previous findings, this qualitative study interviews older-adult hospital volunteers (age 65 and older) about their experiences, motivations, and plans for future volunteering. Findings suggest that older adults engage in diverse volunteering tasks, exhibit complex and multifaceted motivations for beginning and continuing to volunteer, and develop a sense of self and identity as a volunteer that they wish to preserve. Our findings contribute to the development of a nascent three-stage model to explain how older adults approach the possibility of volunteer retirement. Implications for policy and future research are discussed.