Seniors, especially, benefit from volunteerism

Everybody can benefit from doing volunteer work, but especially seniors. From making new friends to making a difference in someone’s life, volunteering is a rewarding way to spend free time productively. Seniors have a full lifetime of experiences to share.

As former entrepreneurs, sales representatives, artists, farmers, nurses, teachers, and trades professionals, to name a few of their vast livelihoods, to hobbyists like fishermen, gardeners, knitters, mechanics, wood workers, the wealth of knowledge that they can contribute to their local communities is practically endless.

Here are 10 great reasons why the senior in your care should become a volunteer. These are taken from Senior Corps, part of the Corporation for National and Community Service, a federal agency that connects American citizens of all demographic categories to give them the opportunity to improve their communities.

1. Volunteers are essential to the United States. Our country needs volunteers to continue thriving ― especially in times of financial crisis. In 2009 the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act mobilized more than 135,000 volunteers who helped more than a million people.

2. American industry needs seniors now more than ever. Communities need active seniors. While all volunteers make a difference, experienced, knowledgeable seniors make an even bigger difference by saving organizations money that can be put to better use in other ways. The Senior Corps program RSVP (Retired and Senior Volunteer Program) is the nation’s largest senior volunteer network. More than 72,000 different organizations use RSVP to find volunteers, so all retired seniors can easily find an opportunity that works for them.

3. Senior volunteers help bridge the generation gap. The cultural differences between seniors and young people are huge. Differences like technology, workplace behavior and even political differences create a great divide. But when seniors and young people get the chance to work together and collaborate, there is reciprocal learning for all involved and results in a better understanding of each other.

4. Senior volunteers can choose to do meaningful work. Unfortunately, most of us aren’t truly vested in the work that we do. We work because have to. There are plenty of volunteer opportunities so senior volunteers can choose work that they find important, exciting and meaningful to them.

5. Volunteering helps seniors maintain mental well-being. A recent study found that seniors who volunteer in social programs not only maintain good brain function, but their brain function and cognitive ability may actually increase. Volunteering can actually make a senior smarter.

6. Becoming a volunteer helps seniors maintain physical health. Volunteering is the only productive activity proven to help prevent frailty among seniors. A UCLA study specifically suggests that of all productive activities, volunteering may actually be the best at slowing down the aging process for seniors.

7. Volunteering helps seniors stay involved in their communities. For many seniors, between half and three-quarters of their time awake is spent watching television at home. Social isolation is a major factor in senior depression, a condition that an estimated 6 to 6.5 million adults 65 and over suffer from. Seniors who volunteer spend less time at home and more time in their community which helps to increase their social and support networks.

8. Volunteering is rewarding. Giving to others can help make us feel vibrant, important and satisfied. Being a volunteer reduces stress and increases happiness. CNCS indicates that there are many health benefits associated with volunteering that result from the sense of accomplishment a senior volunteer feels when helping others.

9. Volunteering adds years to a senior’s life. The CNCS reports lower mortality rates for seniors who provide social support for other by volunteering and found that in states where senior volunteering is high, mortality rates are lower.

10. Senior volunteers can work around their own schedules. When it comes to valued senior volunteers, most organizations offer flexible schedules so that even busy, active seniors can become volunteers.

The individual talent and creativity of our seniors can make an important difference in the success of our communities. So, if the senior in your life is looking for a way to give back, help them enrich the lives of others and ultimately their own by becoming a volunteer.

To learn more, call 603-536-6060 or visit NHComfortKeepers.com.