Interdisciplinary Aging Studies

While hospitals were seen as high-risk zones during the COVID-19 pandemic, little is known about how older hospital volunteers and volunteer-based programs navigated that period. Using the Peterborough Regional Health Centre (PRHC) in Ontario, Canada as a case study, this thesis research explores the pandemic and post-pandemic challenges of older voluntarism in a regional health care setting. In-depth interviews and focus groups were held with 21 volunteers and two program managers. Data analysis was done thematically using NVivo 15 qualitative analysis software. The findings covered major themes encompassing older volunteers' experiences during and post pandemic, the dynamics of digital technologies adoption in hospital volunteerism, challenges faced by older hospital volunteers and the volunteer program, and long-term measures to sustain hospital volunteer programs post-pandemic. The findings demonstrate that sustaining a robust volunteer program post-pandemic requires recognizing volunteers' contributions while also addressing their evolving (technological) needs, ensuring workplace health and safety, and actively involving volunteers in decision-making.

Author Keywords: COVID-19 pandemic, digital technology, hospitals, Older volunteers, volunteer experiences, volunteer-based program sustainability

Filipino immigrant care workers play a critical role in Canada's eldercare systems. Yet, little is known about their aging experiences and eldercare desires. This thesis draws on a qualitative study that employed a life history narrative approach (Brotman et al., 2020) to conduct five in-depth, semi-structured interviews with older Filipino immigrants (ages 59-80) employed in Canada's community-based and residential senior care settings. The purpose of this study was to understand how the transitions and trajectories in their respective life courses influence their own eldercare desires in old age. Ferrer and colleague's (2017) intersectional life course perspective was used to contextualize each participant's lived experiences, revealing how social, economic and cultural processes throughout the life course influence how they dream of care. Analysis revealed that older Filipino immigrant care workers dream of ideal eldercare in three ways: (1) aging across place; (2) through their networks of care; and (3) aging elsewhere.

Author Keywords: Aging, Care, Filipino immigrant care workers, Intersectional life course, Life history narrative