Improve your health - become a volunteer!

As we age, all of us want to know — how can we age well?

When thinking about living longer, healthier lives, we all know we should eat better and exercise, but did you know there are significant health benefits associated with volunteering?

Helping others helps you! In fact, research from the past two decades suggests that seniors who volunteer live longer, experience less depression and even spend less time hospitalized than those who don’t.

The Corporation for National and Community Service reports that:

• Older adults who volunteer have lower mortality rates than those who do not (even when controlling for socioeconomic status, education, marital status, age, gender and ethnicity).
• Volunteers have higher levels of happiness, life satisfaction, self-esteem and a sense of control over life.
• Seniors who volunteer have lower incidence of heart disease.
• Volunteering helps reduce stress and lowers blood pressure, as well as encourages social connectivity.
• Even individuals with chronic or serious illness who volunteer receive benefits beyond what they can achieve through medical care alone. Those suffering from chronic pain reported declines in its intensity, and individuals post heart attack reported reductions in despair and depression.

Volunteering is good for you and for the community! If you’re looking for diverse and fulfilling volunteer opportunities, King’s Daughters has many, including:

• Visiting patients and families through Pastoral Care services
• Escorting visitors as a Welcome Greeter
• Serving patients and families in the Intensive Cardiac Care Unit and the Heart and Vascular Center
• Assisting customers in the Auxiliary Gift Shop
• Directing patients and families coming to Same-Day Surgery and Endoscopy
• Helping guests at the Hospitality House

“There are so many great reasons people volunteer,” said Anne Sloan, director of Volunteer Services at King’s Daughters. “Whether its for social interaction and making new friends or for the expression of a deeply felt commitment to help others, volunteering gives a real sense of belonging to a community that is giving back.”

There are nearly 200 volunteers at King’s Daughters — dedicated individuals who served more than 34,000 hours last year. If you’d like to learn more about joining this great group of people, visit kdmc.com or call (606) 408-0955.

Read more about volunteering - and other stories - in our Report to the Community 2016 --> http://bit.ly/KDcommunity

Photo: KDMC volunteers Dan and Mary Jo Dove