ABSTRACT
Volunteering is a major category within productive aging activities. This qualitative study explored immigrant Chinese older adults’ own understanding of their roles as volunteers in a Foster Grandparent Program. Inductive thematic analysis was employed and themes/codes were identified until consensus was reached. Participants reported several volunteer tasks including: assisting teachers, accompanying children, helping children, playing with children, communicating with children, protecting children, building a bridge between teacher and student, and providing love and comfort for children. Four roles emerged: assistant, companion, protector, and connector. Study findings offer insight to inform future research and practice related to volunteering and older immigrants.
Declaration of interest
The authors have no financial interest or benefit conflict that has arisen from the direct applications of this study.