The aim of this study was to investigate the experiences of volunteers during their work, especially in their approach to older people, by using semi-structured interviews. Five meaning units were identified: volunteering seen as a transforming experience, volunteers’ need to be thanked and acknowledged, the volunteer’s involvement/emotional detachment, communication issues between older people and youth related to the generation gap, strong feelings of empathy towards older people and the perception of loneliness in some older people.
Keywords: Older people, voluntary workers, experiences, emotions, qualitative research, interviews.