A1 Journal article (refereed)
Iäkkäiden ihmisten ja eläkeikäisten vapaaehtoistyöntekijöiden kokemuksia kanssakäymisestä vapaaehtoistyössä (2022)
Experiences of elderly individuals and retirement aged volunteers from their social interaction during voluntary work
Äyräväinen, I., Piirainen, A., Vuoskoski, P., Lintunen, T., & Rantanen, T. (2022). Iäkkäiden ihmisten ja eläkeikäisten vapaaehtoistyöntekijöiden kokemuksia kanssakäymisestä vapaaehtoistyössä. Gerontologia, 36(4), 397-411. https://doi.org/10.23989/gerontologia.115445
JYU authors or editors
Publication details
All authors or editors: Äyräväinen, Irma; Piirainen, Arja; Vuoskoski, Pirjo; Lintunen, Taru; Rantanen, Taina
Journal or series: Gerontologia
ISSN: 0784-0039
eISSN: 2489-494X
Publication year: 2022
Publication date: 09/12/2022
Volume: 36
Issue number: 4
Pages range: 397-411
Publisher: Kasvun ja vanhenemisen tutkijat
Publication country: Finland
Publication language: Finnish
DOI: https://doi.org/10.23989/gerontologia.115445
Publication open access: Openly available
Publication channel open access: Open Access channel
Publication is parallel published (JYX): https://jyx.jyu.fi/handle/123456789/84673
Additional information: Artikkelit
Abstract
Because the elderly live at home until late in life, there are many senior citizens who cannot go out without help. The current study investigates the experiences of retirement-aged volunteers and elderly participants during their period of voluntary work-based interaction. The volunteers helped the elderly participants, who lived alone and had difficulty with mobility, to out-of-home activities. Five pairs of volunteer-elderly participants were selected. The data set consists of individual interviews of the volunteers (aged 61–71 years) and the elderly participants (aged 79–87 years). The data analysis is based on Interpretative Phenomenological Analysis. Five themes describe the experiences the participants had about their interaction: independent everyday life, the value of helping, functioning interaction, unexpected success, and the challenges of everyday life. Both the volunteers and the elderly participants found the interaction as meaningful co-agency. Independent everyday life manifested as meaningful to the elderly participants. The value of helping was central for the volunteers.
Keywords: older people; physical disabilities; home care; everyday; helping; pensioners; volunteer work; social interaction; quality of life
Contributing organizations
Ministry reporting: Yes
Reporting Year: 2022
JUFO rating: 1
