Challenges in the coordination of volunteer activities in long-term care services

Abstract

The need for more personnel in the care sector has made politicians call upon contributions from the voluntary sector. Policy documents, however, offer little insight into how coordination between staff and volunteers is supposed to work in practice. An interview study with managers in long-term care and activity leaders from voluntary organisations was conducted. The results show that the coordination of volunteer and staff efforts was challenging. We found a lack of understanding between staff and volunteers about the rationale and extent of voluntary work. More focus is needed on practical measures to implement voluntary work in long-term care.