Long-term care facilities rely heavily on volunteers to support residents and staff. After COVID-19 restrictions, St. Joseph’s Lifecare Centre experienced a major decline in volunteer participation, particularly among older volunteers who were hesitant to return due to health concerns.
Our team designed the Hearts and Hands Program, a service that reconnects volunteers with residents through meaningful one-to-one relationships.
1. Overview
St. Joseph’s faced several challenges after the pandemic:
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Decreased volunteer participation
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Increased loneliness among residents
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Higher pressure on caregivers
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Limited flexible volunteer opportunities
Many volunteers previously returned because of the relationships they built with residents, yet existing volunteer programs were structured more around tasks than connections
2. The Problem
3. Research Insights
3. Research Insights
Through in-person interviews with current volunteers and competitive analysis of other care facilities, we identified four key volunteer needs.
Flexibility: Volunteers needed schedules that fit their availability
Professional Support: Training and guidance helped volunteers feel more comfortable interacting with residents
Recognition: Volunteers wanted acknowledgement and sense of belonging
Emotional Connection: Both volunteers and residents valued meaningful social relationships
Through in-person interviews with current volunteers and competitive analysis of other care facilities, we identified four key volunteer needs.
Flexibility: Volunteers needed schedules that fit their availability
Professional Support: Training and guidance helped volunteers feel more comfortable interacting with residents
Recognition: Volunteers wanted acknowledgement and sense of belonging
Emotional Connection: Both volunteers and residents valued meaningful social relationships
4. Program Concept
5. Storyboards
The Hearts and Hands Program pairs volunteers with residents based on shared interests, creating consistent and meaningful relationships. Targeting Church communities, students, and healthy residents!
Key features include:
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Volunteer-resident matching
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Flexible participation schedules
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Volunteer training and support
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Shared activities and events
This buddy-style system helps reduce loneliness among residents while making volunteering more rewarding.
4. Program Concept
6. Usability Testing
We tested the concept with 7 participants by conducting in person interviews:
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4 potential volunteers
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3 individuals representing residents
Feedback Highlights
Participants responded positively to the concept and quickly understood the purpose of the program.
Example feedback:
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“Being able to have a buddy younger than me would give me a new perspective.”
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“I do not get to walk outside but if I had a partner I would be able to.”
7. Questionnaire & AI Matching Process
To create meaningful connections between volunteers and residents, we designed a questionnaire-based matching system. The goal was to collect information about participants’ interests, communication styles, and availability so volunteers could be paired with residents who shared similar preferences.
The responses are used to identify compatibility between participants. To improve efficiency, the system can also use AI-assisted matching to analyze responses and suggest potential volunteer–resident pairings based on shared interests and personality traits
8. Final Design
The Hearts and Hands Program is a volunteer buddy system designed to reconnect volunteers with residents at St. Joseph’s Lifecare Centre. The program pairs volunteers with a single resident based on shared interests, creating consistent one-to-one relationships that reduce loneliness and encourage meaningful social interaction.
Target Users
The program mainly targets:
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Retirees and seniors who have flexible time and are interested in community involvement
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Students and younger adults looking for volunteer opportunities and experience
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Community organizations and churches that can help recruit volunteers
These groups were chosen because they are the most likely to volunteer and help rebuild participation at the care centre.
9. Impact
The Hearts and Hands Program creates benefits for both volunteers and residents:
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Stronger emotional connections
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Reduced loneliness among seniors
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Flexible volunteer opportunities
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Increased community engagement
10. Next Steps
The next step is implementing a pilot version of the program at St. Joseph’s Lifecare Centre with a small group of volunteers and residents.
This would allow the organization to evaluate the program before expanding it across the facility.
