It is well known that the United States is facing a demographic shift toward an aging population that will significantly impact our society. According to the US Census Bureau, the US population aged 65 and older reached 55.8 million, or 16.8% of the US population, in 2020. Of note, the population aged 65 and older grew nearly five times faster than the total population from 1920 to 2020.
Two factors contributing to this growth are the 77 million babies born during the “boom years” of 1946-1964 and the increased longevity these citizens can expect to experience due to broad advances in medicine. While much attention has been focused on the economic challenges related to this aging population, more emphasis should be placed on exploring the positive impact that this experienced and gifted group can have through civic and volunteer engagement.
The Benefits of Volunteering
The health benefits of volunteerism have been formally studied. Older patients who volunteer regularly can expect to experience fewer physical limitations, lower rates of depression, improved overall sense of well-being, and decreased mortality. Functional MRI studies have confi rmed that volunteering activates parts of the brain that help maintain cognitive function. Research in the Journals of Gerontology: Psychological Sciences and Social Sciences and Journal of Health Psychology shows that patients who volunteer gain a greater sense of community and establish a social support network, thereby decreasing feelings of dependency and isolation.
Meeting new people with a common purpose can be a fulfilling and fun way to connect with others and motivates older adults to get out of the home to help others who depend on them. In turn, these volunteers contribute their unique talents and life experiences for the betterment of the recipients. Hopefully, witnessing this altruism can motivate others to volunteer.
Promoting Volunteering
With increased attention focused on engaging older adults in preventive health activities and the above discussion that volunteering is essential to healthy aging, it is more important now than ever to counsel and empower patients to volunteer. Multiple studies found that the strength of primary care physicians’ recommendations is the most powerful predictor of exercise initiation and maintenance in older adults. This can also be true of volunteerism if presented as an easy-to-implement preventative health behavior
