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Older
Volunteers’ perceived benefits vary with
program traits
The advantages of volunteering reported by
adults aged 55 and older are largely
dependent upon the characteristics of the
activities in which they participate,
according to a recent article appearing in
The Gerontologist (Vol. 49,
No. 1).
The lead author is Nancy Morrow-Howell, PhD,
of Washington University in St. Louis.
She and her colleagues document the benefits
of volunteering as identified by older
adults — a departure from many previous
studies, which have focused on the benefits
observed by researchers.
They also compare reported benefits with
information about the volunteer program,
such as volunteer training, support, and
stipends.
“These findings suggest that characteristics
of volunteer programs can be strengthened to
maximize the benefits of volunteering to
older adults,” the authors state.
Morrow-Howell’s team sampled 401 people aged
55 and older from 13 volunteer programs. The
volunteer activities included teaching,
tutoring, mentoring, policing and public
safety work, conservation efforts, and
supportive counseling.
More than 30 percent of participants said
they were “a great deal better off” because
of the service they contributed, and almost
60 percent identified a benefit to their
families. Twenty percent reported improved
overall health.
The reported benefits depended upon the
participant’s demographics as well as the
type and characteristics of activity.
For example, among those who received
compensation for their work, the positive
relationship between stipend and perceived
advantages was weaker for the oldest of the
55+ sample, for non-white older adults, and
for those with lower education and lower
income.
Women and lower-income volunteers also
reported more benefit than others from
participating in public security programs.
The researchers speculated that those older
adults who traditionally had less authority
thrived in roles involving law enforcement.
Support for this research was provided by
the MetLife Foundation and the Longer Life
Foundation.
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