4 reasons to volunteer with elderly, and ways to do that

“I have lived in Siachin for 5 years while I was posted there, everything there is so different from here.” “Jawahar Lal Nehru came to see the play I was performing in and compared it with one such play in London!” – These are just some examples of the experiences that we get to hear of when we spend time with an elderly. Elderly have a treasure of memories and experiences that they wait to share with others.

They’ve helped make us everything we are today. So just imagine how many valuable stories, lessons and experiences our elders can share with us. When we spend time volunteering with seniors, we benefit just as much as they do—and we can learn a lot too!

Here are some benefits one can keep in mind while choosing to volunteer with the elderly:

1) Gaining a wealth of knowledge – Sitting down and chatting with an elderly can provide a wealth of knowledge for any individual!

They have clearly lived through some of the greatest changes technology has brought to our world, from kitchen appliances and color television, to computers and cell phones. Listening to their stories can provide wisdom and insights for life, offering a new perspective for one’s own life circumstances.

2) Improving the life of elderly – Loneliness has been directly related to an increased risk of cardiovascular disease. With that in mind, think about the difference we can make in someone’s life when we take the time to sit and chat, or offer a meaningful experience for them.

3) Supporting Families – While the family provides for all their needs and necessities, someone else coming to visit their elderly loved one will assure that they get meaningful engagement and someone to look forward to. The families can use this time for themselves or finishing their other work.

4) Learning the process of bonding with different age groups – Age gap is an evident hiccup when we sit and talk to an elderly but once we try we find many similarities with them, it can be common love for a particular book or interest in music or their experience at our favorite places etc.

Once we have decided to get all this and many more benefits and learnings from volunteering with elderly, we have to know what it takes to volunteer with an elderly. Here are some qualities or important points to keep in mind before enrolling starting any volunteer work:

1) Discipline

They are old and accustomed to a certain set of rules and if anyone wants to help them then he/she also needs to be calm and disciplined. The volunteer needs to take the work and the time seriously. Elderly do not like many changes so if we take up some work for some time then we need to commit to it.

2) Communication

Having conversations with elderly can be fun and interesting but one needs to brush up his/her communication skill to talk to them. One needs to empathetic, soft, sensitive, open and confident. The volunteer needs to understand the problems of the elderly from their point of view.

If all this sounds exciting and fulfilling to you and you wish to volunteer, you can start with

1) Helping the elderly in your own neighborhood. Give them some time, visit them regularly, help them run some errands, etc.

2) Invest your time at old age homes; there are various government and private run old age homes where you can give your precious company to the elder residents.

3) Or you can join an organization like ours, Samvedna Care, to volunteer. Learn to interact with elderly, offer them your company, teach them something and learn from them even more, play games, hold meaningful and interesting conversations, etc.