Scientists reveal secret to longer life (and it’s not rocket science)
ELDERLY people live longer simply by having volunteers visit them to stop them feeling lonely.
A study has shown volunteers can help increase the life expectancy of pensioners by providing company and helping out at their homes.
The research, by Dr Yu Aoki of the University of Aberdeen Business School, analysed mortality rates in the years following the worst earthquake to hit Japan in the 20th century, at Kobe in 1995.
More than 6,000 people lost their lives in the disaster and many homes were destroyed, prompting tens of thousands of people to volunteer their services to help people affected by the tragedy.
The study compared the deaths of pensioners in earthquake-hit areas to regions unaffected and found mortality rates were significantly lower in areas where rates of volunteering were high.
Dr Aoki said: ‘Millions of people across the world work for free but despite this significant amount of voluntary contribution of labour, formal research on the benefits of volunteering for recipients is scarce.
‘This research aims to address that gap in our knowledge by focusing on the Kobe earthquake, which led to a huge volunteer effort where around 1.4million people volunteered to help those affected.
‘The study has specifically focused on the provision of informal elderly care, such as visits to homes and assistance with daily tasks, and finds the numbers of people who volunteered for such work considerably increased only in municipalities hit by the earthquake.
‘This led to a reduced mortality rate compared to the nearby areas that were unaffected, which in all likelihood has occurred because of an improvement in the general health conditions of the elderly.’
Dr Aoki said while previous studies have highlighted the benefits of volunteering to volunteers, hers is the first to prove a causal link between volunteering and the longevity of care recipients.
She added: ‘The findings of this research underline the very real value of volunteering to help elderly people who might otherwise be struggling with a lack of daily support or loneliness.
‘The study also has important implications for societies with ageing populations that face a growing healthcare challenge and suggests governments can consider doing more to encourage volunteering to provide the elderly with care.
‘Scotland is facing an ageing population and the Government is also pressured with an increasing healthcare expenditure.
‘If volunteers can do something to increase the wellbeing of elderly people, trained workers can spend more time with elderly people who have more complicated needs.’
UK-wide charity Contact the Elderly organises Sunday afternoon tea parties for the over-75s.
Morna O’May, its head of service for Scotland, said: ‘We know from the vast amount of testimonials we receive the impact of volunteering.
‘Our volunteers often only spend one afternoon a month, or even just one a year, with our guests but the difference this makes by breaking the social isolation cycle is immeasurable.’
Bunty, 93, of Stirlingshire became a guest of Contact the Elderly in 2015. She said: ‘The afternoons always fly by. There are discussions and people tell stories from their childhood. As soon as someone brings up a new subject it brings a memory to your mind and the conversation is once again flowing.’