Continuing the ‘hearing older voices’ theme Peggy Bonallack talks to Hazel Heath about how older people themselves are enhancing the lives of others

Nurses working with older people have daily opportunities to learn more about their realities and what they want from their lives. However, there are thousands of older people who do not receive services, but develop and maintain them for others. Their time, energies and resources are commonly offered on a voluntary basis and older people provide the backbone of many local voluntary services.