Posted: Wednesday, February 13, 2013 8:00 pm

There is a misconception that senior living means long lonely days filled with too much time and falling asleep in front of the television. 
That may be true about previous generations, but today’s seniors aren’t like that. Many still lead very active lives working part time, volunteering, dating, traveling and doing all those things they never had time to do before.
If you are a senior and you are  fortunate enough to still live in your home, you know that even at your age, you have quite a few responsibilities including preparing meals, balancing your checkbook, doing household chores, laundry and home maintenance, running errands, grooming and dressing and more. All these tasks eat away at your precious time.
By taking advantage of the varied services offered with home care, many seniors are able to free up their time to pursue other interests.
One thing that seniors may consider is to pursue volunteer work.
Volunteering offers a way to give back to the community and to others who need help. The feelings of self-satisfaction and of making a difference are truly rewarding. Even better, volunteering keeps you healthy.
Volunteering provides you with an excellent opportunity to get out and interact with others.
Maintaining an active social life helps improve your quality of life because it builds self-confidence, self-worth and self-identity. When you are feeling good about yourself, you can thank endorphins. Endorphins are the body’s “feel good” chemical and their release gives your immune system a boost.
With a stronger immune system, your body is better able to fight all sorts of trouble.
As an older individual, you benefit in still more ways from volunteering. For example, volunteering can help reduce your risks of developing stress, heart disease, and depression. It may even lower your risks of premature death. And those are benefits that no prescription medication can provide!
Something else that is nice about volunteering is that your opportunities are practically endless.
Almost every type of business, charity and non-profit organization benefits from volunteers.
A few examples include the Salvation Army, Red Cross, animal shelters, hospitals, schools, churches and local government. 
Also, the senior can help out a child by acting as a foster grandparent. 
With so many ways to give and so many health benefits derived from giving, perhaps it is time to find out how utilizing home care can give you the time to give back to others.  Published in The WCP 2.12.13