According to a study presented May 2, 2009, at the American Geriatrics Society annual meeting in Chicago, retirees over 65 who volunteer are living to an older age compared to their peers who do not volunteer.

The study, conducted at the University of California, San Francisco, and the San Francisco Veterans Administration Medical Center, included 6,360 retirees who were enrolled in the Health and Retirement Study in 2002. The average age of the study subjects was 78.

Although that study did not examine the reasons for the health benefits of volunteering, other studies have. The Corporation for National and Community Service compiled findings of 30 such studies in a report, The Health Benefits of Volunteering: A Review of Recent Research. Among the findings:

• Volunteers have better social networks as they get out and interact with others
• Social engagement  results in reduced stress
• Volunteering leads to a more active lifestyle—both physically and mentally—which reduces risk of chronic conditions, such as heart disease and depression
• An active lifestyle also helps boost the body’s immune system, protecting against infection and illness
• Volunteering builds self-confidence, self-worth and self-identity and proves to seniors and others that they still have much to offer

More than 26 million senior citizens in the U.S. have already discovered the rewards of volunteering, from tutoring students to serving food in a soup kitchen, running a church rummage sale, recruiting donors for a blood drive or helping with a fund-raising campaign.

In addition to providing seniors the time to volunteer, in-home caregivers can transport seniors to volunteer sites. And for those who have difficulty getting out, volunteer organizations offer opportunities that seniors can do at home. These include knitting blankets for a fund-raising sale or to give to nursing home residents, cooking meals for church members who have just returned home from the hospital, or stuffing envelopes for a mailing.

The opportunities are practically endless. Schools, nonprofit organizations, churches, hospitals, nursing homes, animal shelters and even businesses all welcome volunteer help and value seniors’ experience. With so many ways to give to others and receive health benefits in return, it is time for seniors to find out how an in-home caregiver can help them find the time to volunteer.

Shopping for seniors who have everything—or who are working on downsizing—may be difficult. But there are plenty of holiday gifts that take up little or no space, yet are big on uplifting a senior’s spirits.  For instance:

• Give a ticket to a concert, sporting event, museum, zoo or other venue that is important to your loved one. The gift to your loved one will also include a ticket for yourself and others who want to join in on the special outing.
• How about a gift before the holiday? Taking your loved one out for dinner and a holiday shopping trip.
• Baskets of favorite nonperishable foods, teas and coffees, along with lap robes or blankets can also be nice gifts to help your loved one during the cold winter months.
• If you live away from your loved one, you can help shrink the distance with a gift of technology – such as a computer with a microphone and webcam that can enable you to stay in touch throughout the year.
• Another idea to give yourself peace-of-mind and allow your loved one to continue living comfortably, safely and independently at home is the  Comfort Keepers®’ SafetyChoice® line of technology solutions, such as the 24-hour Personal Emergency Response System.

Visit our holiday website to learn more about helping the seniors you care about during this special season.

Holiday gatherings give adult children an opportunity to talk with their parents and to sense whether they are doing well or if they may need help to maintain their independence.

The Mayo Clinic (www.mayoclinic.com), for instance, suggests certain signs and changes to look for. These can include:

• Weight loss, which could indicate serious health problems, assuming that the loss is not part of an intentional health improvement plan. It could indicate conditions such as malnutrition, dementia, depression, heart failure or cancer. Or it could be that the senior is lacking the energy or dexterity to prepare meals.
• Housework and home maintenance, which if it appears to have been neglected, could point to physical impairment or depression. Also look around the house for safety issues such as tripping hazards. Or, is the senior having trouble with stairs?
• Do the seniors appear to maintain good hygiene and dress well? Does it look like they are still taking good care of themselves?
• Mood. Do they seem normal or out of sorts? Are they still involved in their hobbies and interests and getting together with friends? Or do they seem withdrawn or blue?
• Physical abilities. Do they appear to be getting around the house OK? Or are they unsteady on their feet?

These kinds of observations open the opportunity to talk with aging parents about their possible need for accommodations or assistance around the home. Emotional partings at the end of holiday reunions could, in fact, reveal that seniors feel less confident than they used to about living independently. Now is the time to invite them to share their concerns, find out how you can help and discuss with them options, such as in-home caregivers who can assist with the things they are beginning to have difficulty with.

As we age, we become more vulnerable to food-borne illness. Seniors have less stomach acid, making it more difficult to rid the digestive tract of harmful bacteria. As we get older, our digestive systems slow, giving bacteria more time to cause harm. Seniors also experience diminished sense of smell and taste, which can make it more difficult to notice when food has spoiled

Safe food storage practices can be one of the best methods to prevent food-borne illness. Here are some ways to store your food safely:

• Keep your refrigerator at 40 degrees Fahrenheit or below and your freezer at 0 degrees Fahrenheit or below. Use an appliance thermometer.
• Never keep refrigerated leftovers more than three or four days—even if they still look and smell fine.
• Refrigerate promptly. Never allow meat, poultry, fish, seafood and eggs or fresh vegetables or fruit to sit at room temperature for more than two hours before storing in the refrigerator or freezer. Reduce this time to one hour when the room temperature is 90 degrees or above.
• Keep in mind that bacteria grow quickly in the “danger zone” between 40 and 140 degrees. So, hot food left out for serving should be maintained at an internal temperature of 140 degrees or above. Likewise, cold foods should be kept below 40 degrees to prevent bacteria growth.
• Follow “sell-by” and “use-by” dates on food packaging. Do not buy an item after the “sell-by” date, and throw out food when the “use-by” date passes.
• Do not take restaurant leftovers home unless you can refrigerate them within two hours of being served (one hour if air temperature is 90 degrees or above) – or if you can keep them in a cooler with ice or freezer gel packs until you arrive home.