Selbstsorge im Modus der Mitsorge

Voluntary involvement in care is desirable from a socio-political point of view and is the subject of controversial debate in both academia and practice. This study makes a new contribution to this debate by answering the question of how senior volunteers fare when meeting seniors in need of help and care. Numerous cameo cases provide a touching insight into the experience of these volunteers. For the most part, the study reveals the unintended effects of this volunteer work on their own ageing process and uses Thomae's ‘daseinsthematic’ analysis to create a typology of self-care. The study’s findings strengthen our ability to judge the design options for promoting volunteering in care for the elderly.