As we end the year, here is the final look at healthy ageing for a while. The look ends with the idea of how important it is to volunteer. So as we look forward to 2020 consider making volunteering one of your commitments for the new year.
Back in 2011, the Ministry of Health
for British Columbia looked at what the literature said about healthy ageing.
Here is some of what was in this report which was called Planning for
Healthy Ageing A Literature Review, written by Eleanor Kallio, Senior
Policy Analyst, Research, Knowledge Translation and Library Services Branch, Planning
and Innovation Division, Ministry of Health, Victoria, British Columbia,
published in 2011
Volunteering
Approximately one-third of
Canadians age 65 and older volunteer; and they volunteer more hours than other
age groups. This is an example of a productive ageing activity. Older adults
have knowledge, skills and abilities, which they can give if barriers are
removed, and opportunities made known. Volunteering offers many benefits: it
helps keep people connected with communities, is associated with longevity, and
increases both happiness and satisfaction.
The reasons older adults volunteer
are both personal and altruistic: to benefit the community and feel a sense of
belonging, to have social interaction and mental stimulation, to feel useful,
and occupy free time. For volunteering to be long-lasting and satisfying, a
good and enjoyable fit is important. One should establish volunteering earlier
in life, or opportunities in later life may be lost, due to declining health.
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