By Atalaya Sergi, National Director, AmeriCorps Seniors
This guest post is part of Healthy People in Action, a blog series highlighting how key partners use the Healthy People framework in their work, form cross-sector collaborations, and address social determinants of health to help achieve health equity. In this post, the author discusses volunteering as a means to improve social connection for older adults and the resulting positive health outcomes for both those being served and the volunteer.
The Office of Disease Prevention and Health Promotion (ODPHP) has hosted 3 national symposiums on healthy aging and the social determinants of health for the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. ODPHP looks forward to continued collaboration with its partners at the 2024 National Healthy Aging Symposium: Innovation Across the Age-Friendly Ecosystem, taking place on September 26, 2024.
In 2023, the U.S. Surgeon General released his Advisory on the Healing Effects of Social Connection and Community, which warned that about half of U.S. adults lack companionship and feel socially disconnected. As a group, older adults suffer the highest rates of disconnection.
The health implications of what the Surgeon General aptly calls an “epidemic of loneliness and isolation” are staggering: a 29 percent increase in the risk of heart disease, a 50 percent increase in the risk of dementia, and a 60 percent increase in the risk of premature death, just to name a few. For many, the advisory’s statistics were eye-opening, highlighting the very real health impacts of social isolation.
As the Baby Boomer population ages, physical activity, balanced diets, and proactive health care are all priority considerations for ensuring this demographic’s well-being and health. Human connection plays an important role in overall longevity and vitality that can’t be overlooked.
Fortunately, there are agencies, organizations, and community programs that offer a host of solutions to combat isolation among older adults. One of the most effective activities to stay mentally and physically engaged is volunteering.
Volunteering Reduces Isolation and Increases Connection
AmeriCorps is the federal agency for national service and volunteerism. AmeriCorps Seniors is the grant making office in the agency that focuses on engaging adults 55 years and older in national service and volunteer opportunities. Each year, grantees match more than 143,000 volunteers with opportunities to use their skills and experience in service to their communities. With 3 signature programs (RSVP, the Foster Grandparent Program, and the Senior Companion Program), AmeriCorps Seniors is an avenue for older adults to serve in ways that meet their personal interests or backgrounds — be it planting a community garden, delivering meals, tutoring children, or assisting another older adult with household tasks or errands.
A fourth program, the Senior Demonstration Program, is available in certain locations and pilots new service opportunities for this age group. Current demonstrations include a workforce development demonstration, exploring how national service can be a pathway to employment for older adults seeking to return to the workforce or change careers. In addition, the Native Nations and Indigenous Elders demonstration focuses on partnering with Native Nations to develop programming that meets their unique needs and honors cultural practices.
Having served as the Director of AmeriCorps Seniors for nearly 4 years now, and with more than 20 years of experience in the service and community engagement space, I’ve seen firsthand the positive benefits for our volunteers. We find they feel a sense of purpose by making a local impact, and the programming helps them cultivate friendships and develop peer-to-peer and intergenerational connections.
A longitudinal study conducted on AmeriCorps Seniors programs found that 84 percent of volunteers reported stable or improving health after 1 year of volunteer service. Additionally, 88 percent of volunteers who described feeling a lack of companionship reported decreased feelings of isolation after 2 years of service.
While the occasional, “one off” volunteer activity may feel good or inspire a spirit of goodwill, we’ve found that offering a regular, commitment-based activity centered on shared interests helps older adults feel that they belong. For example, after retiring, Ray Maestas began volunteering with his local Senior Companion Program to keep busy and meet new people in his community. He was paired with Bob Finnerty, a peer with visual disabilities who needed assistance with day-to-day activities like running errands. The duo became fast friends.
“The Senior Companion Program has provided an avenue to enrich the lives of not only the participants but the people who are volunteering,” Maestas said. “Bob and I have gotten to the point where he’s a very important part of my life.”
Elnora Terry, one of our Foster Grandparent Program volunteers, shares Maestas’ sentiment. Due to the tragic loss of her son, Terry never had grandchildren of her own. The Foster Grandparent Program allows her to impart her wisdom and love on the next generation. Terry and the 40 other volunteers in her local Foster Grandparent Program have spent a combined 40,000 hours serving children in their area’s school system.
“Being able to contribute to and enhance children’s growth feels like the best thing in the world,” Terry said. As for her motivation to keep volunteering, she feels the service benefits her overall well-being as much as it does the students she tutors. “I don’t want to sit down and rust out — I want to wear out. I want to do it until I can’t do it anymore,” she said.
Write a “Second Act” by Staying Engaged
As we age, careers come and go, children may leave the “nest,” and some daily commitments dwindle. But our later years present a renewed opportunity to dive into new friendships, hobbies, and activities. Especially in their retirement years, it’s critical that older adults seek out connection and stay present in relationships for the benefit of their mental, physical, and cognitive well-being.
Steve Cole, PhD, director of the Social Genomics Core Laboratory at the University of California, Los Angeles, sums it up best in his research, which was funded by the National Institute on Aging. Dr. Cole writes: “Loneliness acts as a fertilizer for other diseases. The biology of loneliness can accelerate the buildup of plaque in arteries, help cancer cells grow and spread, and promote inflammation in the brain leading to Alzheimer’s disease.”
For adults ages 55 and older who seek fulfilling volunteer opportunities in their area, AmeriCorps Seniors is a great place to start.
For more information, visit americorps.gov/yourmoment.
About AmeriCorps Seniors: AmeriCorps Seniors is a grant making office in AmeriCorps that focuses on engaging older adults age 55 years and older in national service in their local communities. Grants are made to nonprofits, state and local governments, Tribal nations, and nonprofit faith-based organizations. AmeriCorps Seniors’ grantees are in every state, the District of Columbia, and 3 U.S. territories.
About Atalaya Sergi: Atalaya Sergi is a leader in national service, community engagement, aging and education, and leads the office of AmeriCorps Seniors in the federal agency of AmeriCorps. She has worked in the public and nonprofit sector, developing various program models and funding opportunities to partner with underserved communities. Sergi was named a PBS Next Avenue Influencer in Aging and an Encore Network Champion. She holds a master’s degree in social work.
