Befolkningens holdninger til økt bruk av ubetaltefrivillige i eldreomsorgen: Resultater fra et surveyeksperiment

Abstract

Do arguments for or against increasing unpaid voluntary work in elderly care influence population attitudes? While existing research has discussed possible dilemmas with voluntary work our survey experiment carried out in 2019 enables us to uncover arguments influencing population attitudes. We investigate whether the population accept for relying on more voluntary work within elderly care depends on how this need is framed. Respondents were asked whether unpaid voluntary workers should perform more tasks within municipal elderly care. The survey experiment introduced four arguments on economy (delimiting increased municipal expenditures), recruitment (access to qualified personnel), supplementary services (providing additional services) and equal access (increasing inequality of services to the elderly between municipalities). We find that framing influences population attitudes. Arguments on equal access and, to a certain extent, also economy make respondents less positive to giving voluntary work an increased role, whereas the argument on supplementary services make respondents more positive. Contrary to the general positive attitude toward unpaid volunteers in public documents, the population thus seems to be skeptical to arguments on economy and sustainability. A narrow majority voiced a skeptical attitude towards transferring responsibility and tasks to volunteers in elderly care.

From volunteer work to informal care by stealth: a ‘new voluntarism’ in social democratic health and welfare services for older adults

“…Something must change; something must be done differently, better or more efficiently through a reorganisation of service provision, such as through measures of assistive technology, innovative new solutions or increased privatisation and/or commercialisation of service provision (Ministry of Health and Care Services, 2018; Arbeidsgiverforeningen Spekter and NHO Service og Handel, 2019). An important element in the proposed developments, as seen internationally, is a proposed move towards volunteering, that is, the expectation that volunteer efforts should replace, supplement or add to public efforts (Christensen et al ., 2020). The ‘sustainability discourse’ serves, in other words, as a premise for increased volunteer efforts, which is interestingly more pronounced in governmental papers compared to interests and opinions voiced by the population (Daatland and Veenstra, 2012 a ; Christensen et al ., 2020).…”

“…An important element in the proposed developments, as seen internationally, is a proposed move towards volunteering, that is, the expectation that volunteer efforts should replace, supplement or add to public efforts (Christensen et al ., 2020). The ‘sustainability discourse’ serves, in other words, as a premise for increased volunteer efforts, which is interestingly more pronounced in governmental papers compared to interests and opinions voiced by the population (Daatland and Veenstra, 2012 a ; Christensen et al ., 2020).…”