TORONTO — Healthy adults age 55 and over who aren’t currently working or volunteering are being sought for a new study about volunteering being launched at Baycrest.
The Baycrest Research About Volunteering in Older Adults (BRAVO) pilot study, made possible with a grant from the government of Canada’s New Horizons for Seniors program, is setting out to prove what many volunteers already know – that volunteering is an effective prescription for healthy aging.
Those who enrol in the study will receive mentoring and training in a volunteer position at Baycrest that best fits their values, experience and skill set.
Dr. Nicole Anderson, a scientist at Baycrest’s Kunin-Lunenfeld Applied Research Unit and lead investigator for the study, said her team will study participants before they begin volunteering and six months after they have volunteered.
“We’re looking at the physical, cognitive and psychosocial benefits. Little has been done on the benefits of volunteering, and we believe that active seniors are less likely to develop dementia. Research has shown that people who volunteer are less depressed and more satisfied with life than others,” Anderson said.
“The question, however, is whether the seniors who volunteer are healthier than others in the first place. It’s a chicken-and-egg problem.”
The study is exciting on its own, she said, but what really makes it “cool” is that it was developed and is being run by volunteers.
“It all came about when I spoke at volunteer appreciation week, and we decided we should conduct a study. We got together a group of volunteers who helped design the study, and we trained them to be research assistants,” Anderson said.
Fauna Lidsky, 66, a retired physiotherapist, called the study phenomenal.
“I wanted to keep busy when I stopped working, and because I had always worked with older people, I wanted to continue,” Lidsky said.
“My mother had been at Baycrest, and I was always impressed with the volunteers, so I started working in its creative arts department. It’s an upbeat job, and the people I work with are lovely. It certainly adds to my week.”
The study is important, she said, because it will show potential volunteers that it’s a good way to maintain their emotional, intellectual and physical well-being. “It will give them something to think about.”
Syrelle Bernstein, director of volunteer services at Baycrest is very excited about the study. “It is a wonderful opportunity to target potential volunteers and bring them into Baycrest. Not only would they be volunteers, they would be involved in research that benefits other seniors,” she said.
“This project is what Baycrest is all about. People will learn about the exact thing I have been saying for years.”
Bernstein said she welcomes the opportunity of speaking to groups about the project. For information, call 416-785-2500, ext. 2577.
