The Positives Of Aging

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The Positives of Aging: Senior Involvement in the Community Recruiting Senior Adults to Volunteer as Literacy Tutors

M Cecil Smith Dept. of Educational Psychology, Counseling and Special Education

Northern Illinois University 1/21/93

Presented at the “The Positives of Aging” Conference for Winnebago County Outreach to the Elderly. Rock Valley College, Rockford, IL.

2 The Positives of Aging: Senior Involvement in the Community Recruiting Senior Adults to Volunteer as Literacy Tutors Characteristics of Senior Adult Volunteers 1.) Have an internal locus of control; 2.) Have more discretionary time available than do younger adults; 3.) Are in good physical and emotional health; 4.) Are of lower middle to middle socioeconomic status; 5.) Over 1/4 of all volunteers are older adults (age 55+). Barriers to Senior Adults for Volunteerism Activities 1.) Stereotypes about aging (ageism); 2.) Fear and anxiety; 3.) Transportation difficulties; 4.) Lack of awareness of volunteer opportunities; 5.) Self-perceived lack of time: 6.) Lack of nearby, safe parking facilities; 7.) Structural barriers (e.g., physical facilities). Benefits to Senior Adults for Volunteering 1.) Increased life satisfaction; 2.) Improved cognitive, functional, and life skills; 3.) Enhanced self-esteem and improved self-concept; 4.) Improved attitudes toward learning, youth, and others; 5.) Regular volunteer activity may increase life expectancy; 6.) Altruism promotes a healthier heart and immune system. Incentives to Senior Adults for Volunteerism Activities 1.) Provision of social supports; 2.) Provision of convenient, free parking and mileage reimbursement; 3.) Provision of meals; 4.) Provision of bus passes, cab fare, or other transportation services; 5.) Place time limits on volunteering for specific programs; 6.) Community recognition; special awards, public acknowledgment. Advantages to Literacy Programs for Utilizing Adult Volunteers 1.) Builds political support for programs; 2.) Stimulates public support; strengthens program-community relationships; creates intergenerational links benefiting the community 3.) Cost effective.

3 How to Recruit (and Keep) Senior Adult Volunteers Recruiting 1.) Word of mouth is the best method for recruiting volunteers; 2.) Make personal contacts with potential volunteers; 3.) Be honest about the kinds of services your program offers; 4.) Promote the idea that volunteerism is associated with life satisfaction; 5.) Hold orientation meetings to acquaint volunteers with your program; 6.) Avoid ‘technical’ jargon when describing client problems. Keeping 1.) Hire a volunteer coordinator to administer the volunteer program; 2.) Inform the community at large what your volunteers are doing; 3.) Be realistic about your program and its goals; 4.) Assign volunteers to meaningful tasks; 5.) Involve volunteers in problem-solving, planning activities, and problem solving; 6.) Develop a service credit concept in cooperation with other agencies; 7.) Volunteers need to understand at the outset that it is difficult to teach people to read. Must be prepared to deal with their students’ feelings and circumstances. Suggestions for Creating an Effective Senior Volunteer Program 1.) Match individual strengths and skills to specific program needs; 2.) Provide systematic and thorough training at an appropriate level matching the volunteer’s background; 3.) Training sessions should be led by experienced volunteers; 4.) Recognize volunteers’contributions to your program’s success; 5.) Recognize and respect individual differences among senior volunteers; 6.) Ensure smooth transitions when a volunteer tutor leaves the program and another begins; the focus should be on students’needs. Additional Facts about Senior Adult Volunteers 1.) Retention rate for literacy volunteers is less than one year. 2.) 1988 Gallup poll: 3 of 4 respondents do not refuse to volunteer when asked. 3.) Respondents age 55-64 report a 47% volunteerism. rate and give five hours per week toward volunteer activities. 4.) For every 5 older adult volunteers, two more older adults would like to volunteer but do not. 5.) If every older adult (age 65+) were to volunteer for 1 hour per week, this would result in over one billion hours of volunteering annually. 6.) Congress recently passed the National and Community Service Act which provides funds for innovative service programs.