Volunteering in Aged Care Settings – Research Project

Volunteering in aged care settings has changed significantly during the time of COVID-19 and initial indications are that some of the changes which have occurred are likely to remain, changing the volunteering landscape for volunteers, managers of volunteers and organisations.

As part of the State's recovery from the COVID-19 pandemic, Volunteering WA received a Lotterywest grant to conduct research into volunteering within aged care settings.

Background

In partnership with Murdoch University,Volunteering in aged care settings has changed significantly during the time of COVID-19 and initial indications are that some of the changes which have occurred are likely to remain, changing the volunteering landscape for volunteers, managers of volunteers and organisations.

Objective

The objective of this project was to facilitate knowledge sharing about what had changed in the initial stages of COVID-19 that were likely to remain and to assist organisations to include this in their management, briefing and recruiting of volunteers, reskilling of existing volunteers, and planning for the future.

Focus

This report outlines a project involving a series of research workshops (held in person and online) over several months in 2021 by Dr Megan Paull and Dr Sally Paulin from Murdoch University. The project was designed to facilitate knowledge sharing from those actively involved in volunteering and volunteer management in aged care settings in Western Australia during this COVID-19 period, with a particular focus on residential aged care (RAC) and the Community Visitors Scheme (CVS).

View the aged care resource webpage for the report, key findings, and downloadable good practice guides

Enquiries 

For enquiries about this research project please contact Dr Megan Paull – Murdoch Business School, Murdoch University Western Australia via email. 

Acknowledgements

This project was funded by a Lotterywest grant to Volunteering WA, supplemented by contributions from Volunteering WA and Murdoch University. We are grateful for this funding which allowed the project to proceed.

                   

Thank you to our Researchers and Authors, Dr Megan Paull and Dr Sally Paulin, Murdoch Business School + Centre for Healthy Ageing for their dedication to this project and advancing the volunteering sector.

We would like to extend our thanks to the many participants who have contributed to this project, some of you in numerous ways. Your generosity in offering your ideas, opinions and experiences in a frank and open manner has allowed us to have an insight into the world of volunteering in aged care settings.

Thanks also to the members of the Reference Group who have assisted us with guidance and feedback; Advocare, Amana Living, Juniper, Mercycare, Melville Cares, and Umbrella. Thanks also to Southcare and the Council on the Ageing (COTA) Western Australia for their support of this project.