Motivation of volunteers in retirement homes in Prague

Volunteers are an important part of everyday life in homes for the elderly. The aim of this thesis is to determine how the volunteers are appreciated, as are volunteers motivated and what is the feedback to their activities. The thesis also mentions the causes that may lead to the eventual termination of volunteering. The theoretical part deals with seniors as a social group, which is an important part of our society. It further explains the concepts related to volunteering and defines prosocial behavior. Another important term, which the thesis explaines is motivation. The term "motivation" is later used in the relation to volunteering. The research is based on interviews with volunteers from selected homes, specifically in Prague. These interviews are then analyzed, with particular emphasis on what lead volunteers to their activity and what are the important things that persuade them to volunteer in the future. Furthermore there are mentionednegative aspects of volunteering. Finally, there are analyzed factors that have an impact on volunteering activities. Finally, the work follows necessities that must be done to improve the quality of the volunteer program by workers as well as by volunteers