Wisdom of the Ages
Hospitals seek out older volunteers
John McGrath looks forward to the four hours he spends every Tuesday morning in the emergency department at the University of Utah Hospital in Salt Lake City. As a volunteer, the former homicide detective and private investigator offers warm blankets or juice to patients in the 27-bed unit. Perhaps most important, he schmoozes with the patients, helping to alleviate their isolation and loneliness. "People in pain, the pain is the most important thing in their life at that moment," he says. McGrath, 70, remains impressed by the ER staff--they're "real pros"--especially those doctors who do relief work in their spare time. "It's a real honor to work with people like that."
Hospitals across the nation are actively trying to attract retirees like McGrath as the number of adult hospital volunteers is steadily declining. A University of California-Los Angeles Medical Center survey released in May found that, although the number of volunteers overall is increasing, 62 percent of the 26 academic hospitals contacted had experienced a shortage of the older volunteers who have been their mainstays for decades. They include retirees and working professionals who help out on their days off. Bonnie Thornton, director of volunteer services at the University of Kentucky Hospital in Lexington, says they're "not getting the loyal, dependable person that's been here 25, 30 years." An informal check by U.S. News of hospital volunteer directors like Thornton found similar results. "The turnover is so much higher," says Thornton.
Active lifestyles. That's because the needs of volunteers have changed. In the past, volunteers had a different attitude toward hospital service. It was normal for them to dedicate 20 to 30 hours each week, often for decades, to a traditional position: clerking in the gift shop, staffing the information desk, or visiting patients with a library book or friendly ear. Today's older crowd is different. People are more likely to remain healthy as they age, so they're enjoying active lifestyles, traveling, staying in the workforce longer, baby-sitting grandkids, or taking part-time jobs to supplement income. All of this means fewer hours to devote to volunteerism. What's more, today's older volunteers are also demanding roles that are interesting and challenging.
As the number of traditional volunteers declined, the number of student volunteers has skyrocketed. High school students are flocking to hospital summer programs, as many schools now have mandatory-service requirements for graduation. College students volunteer to explore specific medical fields and to enhance their résumés. "The student volunteers are here to gain clinical experience to help them determine if they want to go into the medical career field or not," says Patty Ostronic, director of volunteer services at the University of Nebraska Medical Center in Omaha.
But the older, traditional volunteers are important to hospitals because they ensure longevity as students flow in and out on their changing academic schedules. "You need a good solid base," says Ostronic, especially if you want the volunteer program to flourish. What's more, program directors say that older volunteers aren't looking for anything in return, and their maturity is a plus in a hospital setting. "They can handle difficult situations in a calming manner," Ostronic says. Adult volunteers are also fonts of emotional support to patients. "Maybe somebody's dying, and it seems like they know what to do and what to say," says Judy Royer, director of volunteer services at Sunrise Hospital and Medical Center in Las Vegas.
Some volunteer directors are targeting recruitment efforts to reel in the older set by posting fliers in retirement neighborhoods and centers, coaxing retiring employees to return as volunteers, and contacting school alumni. The push, of course, also helps the hospital's bottom line. On average, the market value of the labor donated by hospital volunteers each year is worth about $1 million per hospital, says Narasimhan Srinivasan, associate professor in marketing at the University of Connecticut School of Business.
Hospitals are also competing for volunteers with other organizations such as museums, food banks, and religious groups. "Sorry, I'm helping at the food bank. That's the food bank day," a volunteer told Kelly Bowland, manager of volunteer services at University of Colorado Hospital in Denver, when he asked a volunteer about coming to a hospital activity on another day.
Many hospitals are trying to make their volunteer programs more attractive to adults. Some are creating flexible programs to adapt to retirees' busy schedules. At Integris Baptist Medical Center in Oklahoma City, volunteer director Daisy McNeill says adult volunteers can come in anytime on their designated day. Some hospitals also offer perks like free lunches or parking or seminars on new medical procedures and drugs.
Boomer thing. The newest crop of retirees turning to volunteerism also want meaningful work that taps into professional expertise or that offers direct patient interaction, says Audrey Harris, executive director of the American Society of Directors of Volunteer Services, a division of the American Hospital Association. "That's the boomer thing." At Integris, for example, retired nurses serve on review panels that award scholarships to nurses who are continuing their education. Veteran nurses sometimes interview six to 20 candidates and help decide who gets funding from a hospital auxiliary, McNeill says. "So much more than coming on Monday morning and delivering mail."
At the University of Colorado Hospital, the hearing screening program for newborns is a popular post for adult volunteers. They perform the test and deliver positive results to the parents; a medical professional delivers negative news. "I like babies," says Joan Sellinghausen, 70, who has volunteered with the program since 1991, a year after she retired. "If you do the test on them and there's something wrong," she says, "help can be given to them." For Sellinghausen and her fellow volunteers, knowing they've made a difference makes it all worthwhile.
This story appears in the July 17, 2006 print edition of U.S. News & World Report.