Volunteerism and Older Adults

Posted by Melda Research on March 6th, 2019

Abstract
The purpose of this study was to explore the relationship between volunteerism and older adults and its effects on a career related to health and long-term care administration. The paper describes volunteerism of older adults in details. It educates the reader on the effects, reveals the rates and trends of volunteerism on older adults and relates it to careers in health and long-term care administration. It is imminent that the number of older adults engaging in volunteer activities is increasing. An increase in the rate of volunteerism of older adults will affect health and long-term care administration services. Understanding how the relationship between volunteerism and older adult affects careers in health and long-term care administration assists experts to have a clear image of their careers.
Volunteerism and Older Adults
Aging is inevitable for every living thing including human beings. How a person spends their time while still living lies solely on the individual. Recent studies show that adults who actively engage in activities sustain better health for the remaining part of their lives (Tang, 2010). Since most of the old people have plenty of time at their hands volunteering allows them to stay active and reduce the time they spend doing nothing. A survey on the rate of volunteerism of older adults reveals that an increasing number of older adults are devoting more of their time and service to the community (Tang, 2010). These individuals meet a diverse range of community needs. Their active participation in community service has resulted in a positive relationship with mental and physical health (Tang, 2010). Understanding the details about the relationship between the volunteerism and the mental and physical health of the older adults provides more insight on the effects of this field on health and long-term care administration.
Literature Review
According to Lum & Lightfoot (2005) the world’s population is gradually aging and in several decades to come one in every five individuals will be sixty years or above. Aging has not only physical effects on the individual but also mental and social effects (Lum & Lightfoot, 2005). It is no secret that the people’s bodies change as they grow old. Most of the physical effects are obvious; however, it is hard to relate to the mental effects on the individual especially as a third party. Aging brings about psychological effects such as fear for the future, loss of independence and discrimination among others (Lum & Lightfoot, 2005). However, the greatest effect of aging is the major life change these individuals go through (Lum & Lightfoot, 2005). The largest percentage of older adults do not engage in career jobs creating plenty of desecrate time and energy; moreover, inactivity of the individuals (Lum & Lightfoot, 2005).
Our world devalues old age in many ways. The society particularly in the United States where people highly value individualism, self-reliance and consider older adults as a social problem (Lum & Lightfoot, 2005). The dependence on others for most of the requirements such as driving, food supplies, and other essentials compels very many individuals to send the elderly to nursing homes or hire nurses to look after the elderly. It has a great impact on the health of the older adult. Rather than living a healthy life the health of the individual deteriorates rapidly (Lum & Lightfoot, 2005). How older Americans spend their time after retirement determines whether they can delay or deter disability related to advanced age (Tang, 2010). Increasing research in the field reveals that older adults who that actively engage in social and community activities sustain mental and physical health longer than other older adults who rarely engage in any activity (Tang, 2010). The amount of physical activity older adults engage in should not be strenuous to achieve health benefits. Some of the benefits older adults accrue from moderate physical activity include cardio-respiratory endurance, muscle strengthening among others. These health benefits reduce the chances of the older adults from falling and fracturing their bones (Lum & Lightfoot, 2005). They also reduce the risk of losing their lives to coronary diseases (Lum & Lightfoot, 2005). Engaging in physical activity improves the mental conditions of the individuals by reducing anxiety and depression. It also boosts their social lives (Lum & Lightfoot, 2005).
Recent studies show that the trends in the United States and across the globe are turning for the better; an increasing number of older adults are engaging in volunteer activities (Tang, 2010). Older adults can use volunteering activities as a method of remaining socially active after retirement (Tang, 2010). Volunteerism of older adults also offers other benefits that do not relate to the health of these individuals (Tang, 2010). These benefits include catering for individuals the government cannot help due to depleted resources. Volunteerism of old age also helps run nonprofit organizations effectively. It also strengthens the society by involving more individuals in the community (Tang, 2010).
Volunteering is distinct from helping or care-giving. People who volunteer can help or take care of those in need whereas people who help others must not necessarily volunteer. The odds are very high for older adults to volunteer to offer help to others. Older adults have a lot of time and energy after retiring; therefore, these individuals seek ways of substituting the free time created after retirement with volunteer activities. The volunteer rate of the older adults in the United States for the year ending in September-8-2014 was 25.3% that was greater than the previous year’s 24.6% (BLS, 2015). The older adults spent a median of fifty hours in the year ending September-8-2014 (BLS, 2015). The statistics show that the number of older age adults participating in volunteer activities increased. Older adults that engaged in physical activities had a 44% mortality rate decrease.
There are several factors that affect the number of older adults and who engage in volunteer activities in the United States: sex, education and professional skills, socioeconomic status, and marriage status (Musick et al., 1999). A study shows that older women engage in volunteer activities more than older men in the society. Women have a sense of compassion that compels them to engage in volunteer activities. The rates of older men and women engaging in volunteer activities as of September-8-2015 were 22.0% and 28.3%, respectively (BLS, 2015). The educational background, professional skills and experience of older adults also affect those who engage in volunteer activities (Musick et al., 1999). Older adults with higher education worked in organizations with high incomes or have great experience in a particular field are likely to engage in volunteer activities more than those without these attributes. These attributes give the older adults confidence or raise their conviction to help the community to become a better place (Musick et al., 1999). Older adults that 39.4% of college graduates volunteered compared with 27.3% of individuals with some college or an associate's degree (BLS, 2015). The records also illustrate that 16.4% of high school graduates, and 8.8 percent of those with less than a high school diploma (BLS, 2015). The records also varied depending on the type of work of the individual. According to the records gathered till September-8-2014, 27.5% of employed people volunteered as compared to 24.0% of unemployed individuals and 21.8% of the entrepreneurs (BLS, 2015). The records also indicate that 37% of the part-time workers participated in volunteer activities as compared to 26.5% of full-time workers (BLS, 2015).
The socioeconomic status of old adults in the community also contributes to the participation of these individuals in volunteer activities (Musick et al., 1999). People who were working more have more time than those who were working less; therefore, they have a greater urge to participate in volunteer activities (Musick et al., 1999). Older adults with higher socioeconomic status are likely to engage more in volunteer activities that older adults with lower economic status Musick et al., 1999). The status gives these individuals confidence and arouses their conviction on the need to give back to the society. Married couples engage in volunteer activities than single older adults. These individuals feel the need to help the society to fill in the time spent with their family members and spouses (for couples that lost a spouse) (Musick et al., 1999). The rates gathered as of September-8-2014 indicate that married couples had a higher rate of volunteer activity participation with 30% out of every adult than another marital status with 21.1% (BLS, 2015).
Discussion
The increasing rate of the number of older age adults participating in volunteer activities has significant effects on health and long-term care administration. The constitution of United States approves of health and long-term care administration services that take care of older age adults. The participation of older age adults in volunteer activities improves the health of the aging individuals; therefore reducing their dependence on other people (Falkowski, 2013). The reduced dependence on other people reduces the need for health and long-term care administration (Falkowski, 2013). The older adults actively participate in improving the society reducing its stereotypic perspective of older adults. Rather than thinking of older adults individuals as social nuisances the society views them as an important aspect of the development of the community. The society loses the need for health and long-term care administration services. Reduced demand for health and long-term care administration reduces the number of people who need care (Falkowski, 2013).
A reduction in the demand results in competition between the health and long-term care administration institutions for clients (Falkowski, 2013). The competition between the facilities and institutions affects the pay of the professionals taking care of the older adults in the field. It affects the pay of the specialists in the field because of the reduced clientele and the reduced prices brought about by price wars in competition (Falkowski, 2013). Individuals pursuing careers in health and long-term care administration have to improve their health and long-term care administration skills to attract more clients. Competition between the health and long-term care administration business forces some of the facilities to shut down (Falkowski, 2013). The shutdown of some of the health and long-term care administration facilities reduces the available positions resulting in stiff competition for positions in other institutes (Falkowski, 2013).
The steady increase in the rate of older adult volunteerism also increases the quality of the practice in the field of health and long-term care administration. Since the demand for the service will reduce, experts in the field significantly have to come up with strategies for improving the quality of the services they offer to attract clients (Falkowski, 2013). It consistently improves the quality of the services as well as the standards for good health and long-term care administration service. It makes sure that experts in the field have to deploy health and long-term care administration services at a particular level to retain clientele (Falkowski, 2013). The reduction in demand for the facilities also takes care of problems associated with the shortage of health and long-term care administration experts and the rising cost of providing the services. Therefore, the quality of the services provided in the field improves significantly. The workload on experts in the field also reduces subsequently reducing the stress on these individuals (Falkowski, 2013).
Even though there is a reduction in the market for health and long-term care administration services due to volunteerism, it also offers opportunities for specialists in the field. The specialists can provide services such as educating the older adults on the extent of their participation in the volunteer activities and the effects (Falkowski, 2013). They can apply their skills to monitor the activities of these individuals. Older adult participation in volunteer activities does not necessarily mean that they do not need health and long-term care administration services entirely. It only reduces the number of people that need the services (Falkowski, 2013).
Conclusion
The rate of older adult involvement in volunteer activities is increasing steadily. They are engaging in activities that strengthen the community through organization created to help these individuals. Involvement of older adults in volunteer activities has significant impacts on both the society and the older adults. The adults achieve better mental and physical health from participating in volunteer activities. It also reduces their dependency on others for the essentials. On the other hand, the older adults help reinforce community and improve the living standards of living. The participation of the elderly also affects the careers related to health and long-term care administration. Individuals pursuing these careers have to acquire top notch skills and knowledge in the field to provide quality services to the older adults.
 
Reference
Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS)., (2015). Volunteering in the United States. Volunteering and mortality among older adults: Findings from a national sample. The Journals of Gerontology Series B: Psychological Sciences and Social Sciences, 54(3), S173-S180. Lum, T., & Lightfoot, E. (2005). The effects of volunteering on the physical and mental health of older people. Research on aging, 27(1), 31-55.
Tang, F. (2010). Volunteering by older adults in the United States. China Journal of Social Work, 3(2-3), 289-300.

Sherry Roberts is the author of this paper. A senior editor at MeldaResearch.Com in pay someone to write my research paper services. If you need a similar paper you can place your order from write my research paper online services.