Type of Volunteer Experience and Health Among Older Adult Volunteers

The purpose of this investigation was to ascertain if the type of volunteer experience was related to the physical health or psychological well-being of older adult volunteers. A central pattern emerged from the data: the type of, as well as the number of, hours donated to a volunteer activity were associated with psychological well-being. Implications for social workers involved with volunteer programs and services are discussed in terms of volunteer recruitment and retention, and the need to develop more significant volunteer roles, especially for low-income older adults.