Professional of vrijwilliger? “Als ik maar goede zorg krijg, ben ik tevreden!”

Abstract

In assignment of the welfare organization U Centraal we evaluate how clients experience the transition from professional care to voluntary care, in the light of recent social changes. The main question in this report is: ‘Which experiences do clients of U Centraal have with coaching services offered by professionals and volunteers and to what factors can this be ascribed?’ By taking seventeen semi-structured interviews with clients of U Centraal, is intended to give answer to the aforementioned question.

The experiences with care obtained from a professional as well the care obtained from a volunteer are positive. Most of the clients in this research do not prefer one type of caregiver. The results shows that personal competence features of the caregiver are perceived by clients as most important. These competences entail abilities to connect the client, to develop reciprocal trust and professional skills that match the care need of the client. In addition some clients prefer a caregiver of same or opposite sex: the same goes for age of the caregiver.