Fulfillment At Any Age: How Senior Care Services Help Seniors Give Back

Today’s post reviews research on the positive effects volunteering and charity work can have on senior wellbeing, then highlights 5 ways our senior care teams help older adults give back in Brookfield, WI.

Read on to learn more, or call (262)-439-8616 to speak directly with a senior care coordinator in Brookfield, WI.

Research review: The benefits of volunteering for senior wellbeing

Most people understand how lifestyles affect senior wellbeing and quality of life. To age successfully, seniors are typically encouraged to eat better, get plenty of rest, exercise often, connect with the community, and practice moderation with substances.

However, new research suggests that this list of healthy habits may be incomplete. Believe it or not, it appears that one of the ways for seniors to take care of themselves might just be to take care of others, by giving back through charity work and volunteering.

According to a 2019 report by Frontiers in Psychology, “retired and senior volunteers are more protected from the hazards of retirement, physical decline, and inactivity than people of the same age who do not perform volunteer work” (Gil-Lacruz et al., 2019, p. 2647).

Gil-Lacruz et al. (2019) cite a large and growing body of literature that suggests senior involvement in volunteering and charity work can:

• Increase life expectancy (Harlow & Cantor, 1996; Burr et al., 2011; Fothergill et al., 2011)
• Increase self-reported health and wellbeing (Stephan, 1991; Moen et al., 1992; Sabin, 1993)
• Reinforce health and happiness (Post, 2005; Harvey, 2011).
• Improve independence, autonomy, and “the feeling of ability” (Pushkar et al., 2010)
• Reduce feelings of negative self-esteem and wellbeing (Russel et al., 2019)

For some seniors, volunteering can be challenging, but mobility restrictions, chronic conditions, and a lack of transportation should not stop your loved one from finding fulfillment—indeed, Gil-Lacruz et al. (2019) specifically mention that “even for older adults with multiple chronic diseases, participating in volunteer activities seems to improve their self-reported state of health.”

If you’re looking for ways to get your loved ones involved in volunteering and charity work in Brookfield, WI, our senior care teams can help! Read on to learn more, or call  (262)-439-8616 to speak with a senior care coordinator in your area.

Give back, live better: 5 ways senior care services can help

These are just a few of the ways our senior care teams help Brookfield seniors reap the rewards of volunteering and charity work, without any of the risks:

• Senior care teams help find opportunities to volunteer—As longtime members of Brookfield’s senior care community, we’ve established great relationships with local community organizations, and we can use these connections to help your loved ones find rewarding opportunities in their area. Even starting small by contributing clothing and canned food to donation boxes does plenty of good, both for the individual and their community. We can also help with online research, and once we’ve identified some good opportunities, we’ll take care of registration and schedule reminders, so your loved one just has to show up and give back!
• Senior care teams help organize events at home—If your loved one wants to host an event at home, be it a food drive or a yard sale with all profits going to a local charity, our senior care team can help with the planning, setup, and cleanup.
• Senior care teams can give back alongside your loved ones—At your request, our senior care teams can accompany your loved ones to events and join in on the fun to help break the ice and provide support with activities of daily living.
• Senior care teams simplify transportation—Our senior care teams can find out exactly where your loved one’s chosen event takes place, then provide safe, reliable transportation with good company and full support with activities of daily living (ADLs) along the way.
• Senior care teams keep volunteering COVID-safe—Until the pandemic threat period has passed, our senior care teams will ensure your loved ones follow COVID-19 safety protocols while they find fulfillment. To that end, we will make sure they bring masks to charity events, maintain safe social distance while volunteering, and wash their hands or use sanitizer regularly. We can also assist with vaccination appointments for extra protection, and if your loved one would rather shelter-in-place for a while longer, we can find online volunteering opportunities instead.

Book a free senior care consultation in Brookfield, WI

• Call (262)-439-8616 to speak with a senior care coordinator in your area
• Email [email protected] with care questions and to request a consultation
• Fill out our on-site contact form to schedule an appointment online

References

Gil-Lacruz, M., Saz-Gil, M. I., & Gil-Lacruz, A. I. (2019). Benefits of older volunteering on wellbeing: An international comparison. Frontiers in psychology, 10, 2647.