Mental, physical, and cognitive stimulation are essential for aging adults because they enhance skills and increase longevity. Volunteering can boost emotional and mental health and provide physical activity. The key is to find fun and meaningful programs your senior parent can volunteer for and to ensure he or she has the tools and transportation necessary to fulfill each role. Continue reading to learn about the benefits of volunteering in the senior years.
Socialization
Isolation is common in the senior years, but older adults can combat boredom and loneliness by engaging in purposeful tasks like volunteering. Your parent can get out of the house and into the community by volunteering at a local school or library or offering his or her services at a nearby hospital.
The objective is to find a cause your loved one cares about, whether it’s working with youth, other seniors, or animals. Participating in programs that help others can provide opportunities for companionship and help your loved one build social networks.
Regular social interaction can help aging adults avoid a number of mental, emotional, and physical challenges. For families living in Arlington, respite care can be a wonderful solution when their aging loved ones need companionship and socialization a few hours a week or just need minor assistance with daily household tasks. At Assisting Hands Home Care, we thrive on helping seniors maintain their independence while living in the comfort of home.
Learning Opportunities
When seniors volunteer, they can boost their cognitive health by learning new things. Your parent can stimulate his or her brain by acquiring interesting knowledge about people, places, and events.
The learning opportunities that come with volunteering could lower your loved one’s odds of developing dementia and Alzheimer’s and keep his or her short-term memory working well. Idle time and lack of communication are some of the top factors associated with cognitive impairment among older adults, and volunteering can keep seniors actively engaged.
Physical Activity
Some volunteering opportunities provide seniors with exercise, even if they’re working in office settings. Merely walking around the room to pass out supplies or speak with other volunteers and team members can keep the arms and legs active. Physical activity can lower the risk of hypertension and burn calories.
When choosing a program, make sure it isn’t too strenuous for your loved one. Your loved one should be physically engaged, but exerting too much energy could lead to injuries and joint and muscle pain.
Regular physical activity is essential for seniors, and if your loved one needs help to exercise safely at home, a professional caregiver can be an ideal source of support. Elderly home care experts are available to provide high-quality care to seniors on an as-needed basis. From assistance with mobility and exercise to providing transportation to the doctor’s office and social events, there are a variety of ways professional caregivers can help your aging loved one continue to live independently.
Intergenerational Relationships
When volunteering, older adults have unique opportunities to work with people of all ages, including teenagers and young children. Maintaining intergenerational relationships is good for seniors because it keeps them up to date on new trends and allows them to share their wisdom. Your loved one will learn new things from the young people he or she meets each week, gaining a renewed sense of purpose while enhancing his or her language and technology skills.
Self-Confidence
Many seniors have low self-esteem due to decreasing health and the inability to complete tasks as effectively as they did in the past. Lack of confidence could increase the risk of depression and cause combativeness. However, volunteering can provide your loved one with a sense of accomplishment and enhance his or her mood. The boost in confidence could reduce your loved one’s fear of taking on other tasks at home and lower the odds of accidents and injuries. When searching for volunteer programs, stay away from activities that are too challenging for seniors, and choose things your loved one can complete based on his or her current abilities.
Volunteering can provide a significant boost to mental and physical health in seniors, and so can the support and companionship of home caregivers. Not every senior has the same care needs, which means they don’t all need the same type of home care. Arlington families can rely on Assisting Hands Home Care to provide individualized care plans to meet their elderly loved ones’ unique care needs. Our caregivers help seniors focus on healthy lifestyle habits such as eating nutritious foods, exercising regularly, and maintaining strong social ties, and we offer mentally stimulating activities that can boost cognitive health and delay the onset of dementia. Schedule a free in-home consultation by giving us a call today.