Volunteers in Intermediate Care: Flexible Friends?

Intermediate care services generally focus on health and social care organisations as the key commissioning and providing agencies. The private sector is an important contributor to residential intermediate care, and the voluntary sector is also involved in a variety of activities. However, volunteers' contribution is little discussed, and its potential unknown. This article outlines features of intermediate care that may or may not be attractive to volunteers. A survey of volunteer perceptions of their role in one voluntary sector intermediate care service is reported. Recommendations are made for voluntary groups, intermediate care workers and their managers, and policy makers.