Continuous Voluntary Care Service for Older People in the Chinese Community

Abstract

Background: China has limited and expensive paid formal care services and weak unpaid informal family care support for older people, which has caused a care service shortage for older people. Therefore, voluntary care service in the community is important for older people to satisfy their unmet care needs. However, the continuity of voluntary community care services can be improved regarding incentive integration for volunteers. This study analyzes if the community voluntary care services can continuously impact volunteers’ willingness to offer care services for older people. Methods: The study conducted a semi-structured interview analysis based on 15 interviews. Results: It identifies internal incentives, including altruism, social interaction, and self-realization, and external incentives, including social support, specification impetus, and benefit attraction, which all impact volunteers’ willingness to offer voluntary care services for older people. Conclusions: Integrating internal and external incentives strengthens volunteers’ care service activity for providing voluntary care services.