Senior Care in Statesville, NC – Volunteering has Benefits for All Ages, and is a Great Activity for Seniors
Serving others has always been linked to better mental health. People who are suffering from depression and anxiety find relief from their symptoms while helping others. There are many health benefits from volunteering and one of the best health benefits is improved blood pressure. Encouraging your senior parent to become more active physically and in the community will lower their stress and blood pressure at the same time.
How Volunteer Work Helps Lower Blood Pressure
Hypertension with dangerously high levels is treated with blood pressure medication and diet in order to reach normal blood pressure levels, however in some cases medication and diet is insufficient. People with high blood pressure should engage in activities that assist in lowering their high blood pressure. Volunteer benefits are endless and may include the following:
- Social interaction: People who remain involved in activities related to volunteering improve their blood pressure by staying active, and remaining social improves feelings of loneliness and isolation.
- Physical activity: The daily volunteering routine along with added walking offers much needed physical activity. The physical activity alone offers people suffering from hypertension the benefit of lower blood pressure.
- Serving others: while volunteering people are able to connect with others who are genuinely in need of their assistance. Volunteers working in different areas of need are able to leave work each day knowing that they truly did make a difference. Feeling needed and useful is important to all people, volunteering offers people an opportunity to reap the benefits of feeling needed. Serving others assists with lowering blood pressure by eliminating stress and anxiety.
Where to Volunteer
Volunteers are needed in many areas, and seniors can choose based on their interests. Think about joining your parent in the volunteering for an opportunity to meet new people, get some exercise and have fun. Every community has local clubs or groups that could use the help, especially these:
- Schools: to assist teaching children of all ages, including children with special needs. They could sit in the reading room and help kindergarten children with their reading.
- Hospitals: to assist with patient care as well as the patient’s family. Take Carl for example, he is in a wheelchair but he volunteers at his local hospital. He uses an electric chair to guide visitors around the hospital to where they need to go. He also delivers flowers to patients’ rooms.
- Veterinarian clinics: to assist with care for the animals such as, feeding and grooming. Florence goes to her local animal clinic twice weekly to pet the cats and help fill the food dishes.
- Food banks and soup kitchens: organizing and helping to feed the poor and homeless. Walter sits in the soup kitchen and peels potatoes for the supper meal a few times weekly.
There are many things a senior person can do to feel like they’re an integral part of the community. Helping someone learn to read and pronounce English words in an ESL class, or reading to children in the local public library during moms and tots reading time can bring a lot of fulfillment to a senior’s life.
If you need a companion for your senior parent or someone to help them around the house, consider hiring senior care services.
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