Search results for ‘Subject term:"older people"’ Sort:
Results 1 - 1 of 1
Do caregivers benefit more from educational and volunteer activities than their noncaregiving peers?
- Authors:
- GREENFIELD Jennifer C., MORROW-HOWELL Nancy, TEUFEL James
- Journal article citation:
- Journal of Gerontological Social Work, 55(8), November 2012, pp.738-744.
- Publisher:
- Taylor and Francis
- Place of publication:
- Philadelphia, USA
In the United States, informal caregivers are a critical component of the long-term care system, but caregivers often experience poor physical and mental health as a result of strain from the caregiving role. It is well known that engagement in community-based educational and volunteer activities contributes to older adult well-being, but previous studies have not assessed whether the effects of these types of engagement are different for older adults who are also caregivers. Using a sample of participants in educational and volunteer activities sponsored by a national non-profit organisation, this study found that participants who were caregivers reported more benefit from these community-based activities than their non-caregiving counterparts. The authors concluded that connecting caregivers to existing community-based activities may be an efficient strategy for improving caregiver well-being. Implications for practice are discussed.