Research from Associate Professor Rachel Winterton has shed light on the experiences of rural community organisations who engage volunteers with dementia.
“More than 55 million people are living with dementia internationally,” she says, “and it's important that we support their continued their involvement in community life."
In rural communities, volunteering within local organisations provides an opportunity for meaningful social participation.
But how well-equipped are rural community organisations to support people living with dementia as volunteers?
Associate Professor Winterton says that "volunteer coordinators and managers in rural settings are generally very supportive of providing opportunities for people living with dementia to volunteer and were in some cases doing so already.”
“However, this was mediated by their ability to provide suitable roles within their organisations, their resource capacity to support these volunteers adequately and their ability to manage disclosure and progression of dementia within their settings.”
Associate Professor Winterton says the findings highlight the need for increased resource support to ensure that the rural volunteer sector can continue to offer inclusive opportunities.
“To promote inclusive volunteering and social participation, policies must address the resource requirements of rural volunteer-involving organisations, including funded coordination, upskilling and training,” she adds.
“In doing so, we can help promote dementia-friendly rural settings.”
