Elderly woman volunteering
There isn’t much doubt that helping those who need it by volunteering makes you feel good, after all you are helping someone else. Researchers are now finding out that volunteering may do a lot more than just philanthropy, it may actually help you live longer as well. In a study, conducted by Dr. Sei J. Lee and colleagues from the VA Medical Center and University of California, San Francisco, examined 6360 retirees older than 65 who enrolled the Health and Retirement Study in 2002.
The results are both interesting, and some good news for those who may want to do some good deeds. The study found that volunteering decreased the chances of dying within a four-year period quite dramatically. It’s thought that due to the social aspect of volunteering, retirees were able to increase their social circles, access to resources, and improve their self-worth.
As part of the study, the men and women, whose average age was 78 years, were asked: “Have you spent any time in the past 12 months doing volunteer work for religious, educational, health-related, or other charitable organization?”
Lee and colleagues found that volunteering was strongly associated with lower death rates, with 12 percent of 1766 volunteers dying by 2006 compared to 26 percent of 4594 non-volunteers.
Even after adjusting for numerous factors that could influence the results, such as the seniors’ socioeconomic status, chronic illnesses, and functional limitations, volunteering remained strongly correlated with lower death rates.
(Source)
Finding volunteer opportunities is as easy as making a few phone calls to local animal shelters, food kitchens, and local community centers.
Tags: elderly, elderly activities, elderly activity, elderly living, elderly volunteering
