Older inpatients face a higher risk of delirium, falls and functional decline during hospital stays. Volunteer programmes have been shown to improve patient outcomes in single settings, but little is known about their implementation and spread across multiple care environments. This study describes the implementation and system-wide spread of Maximizing Ageing Using Volunteer Engagement (MAUVE)—a volunteer-based programme supporting older patients’ cognitive, physical and social well-being—and evaluates its impact on healthcare staff satisfaction.

A prospective observational service evaluation.

Emergency department, seven acute in-patient care units and two transitional care units within a Canadian hospital system from January to December 2019.

Older patients receiving care, volunteers delivering interventions and front-line nursing staff.

Trained volunteers delivered up to six types of interventions targeting patients’ cognitive stimulation, physical activity, social engagement, functional support, orientation and companionship.

Staff satisfaction with the MAUVE programme was measured using a structured survey administered 6 months after programme implementation. Data on patients and volunteers—including the number and type of interventions delivered, volunteer hours and patient reach—were also collected to assess feasibility and programme uptake.

Over 12 months, 94 volunteers delivered 31 593 interventions to 3568 unique patients across three care settings. Front-line staff reported high satisfaction with the MAUVE programme, noting that volunteers enhanced patient care and enabled more direct patient interaction by staff.

The MAUVE programme is the first known volunteer-led patient engagement programme to be successfully implemented across acute, emergency and transitional care settings. This service evaluation demonstrates that structured volunteer engagement can support older patients’ well-being while enhancing staff satisfaction and enabling front-line care providers to deliver more direct care.