Importance of meaningful engagement: how and why older adults volunteer in uncertain times

PurposeMany older adults engage in volunteer activities, drawing meaning and purpose through such efforts. Social distancing restrictions, put in place during Covid-19 surges to reduce the risk of transmission, disrupted older adult volunteers' lives and volunteer experiences. Social distancing measures provide a unique opportunity to explore what happened when the choices around pausing or stopping volunteering were not entirely within the control of older adults. This paper aims to explore the experiences of older adult volunteers as they navigated uncertainties and made difficult decisions around balancing their safety and their desire to continue volunteering.Design/methodology/approachThe authors conducted interviews with 26 community-dwelling older adults, age 50+, who had engaged in volunteer activities for at least 1 h a week prior to the start of the pandemic. The interviews were conducted on the phone or via Zoom. The authors used thematic analysis to help us analyze the data and identify patterns from participants' experiences.FindingsDespite the risk presented by Covid-19, most participants volunteered during the pandemic. They continued some or all of their previous activities with safety-related adjustments, with some seeking new or different opportunities. Participants' discussions highlight the challenges of volunteering during the pandemic and the importance of engagement to their resiliency and subjective well-being.Originality/valueThis paper provides original contributions to understanding how and why older adults volunteered during the Covid-19 pandemic. The social distancing measures provide a novel opportunity to enrich our understanding of the meaningfulness and value of volunteerism to older adults' lives and subjective well-being.

Evaluation of Telephone-Based Cardiac Rehabilitation Services Delivered to Adults 65 and Older During the Early Months of the COVID-19 Pandemic.

This study was performed to evaluate the effectiveness of a hybrid, telephone-based cardiac rehabilitation (TBCR) program implemented early in the COVID-19 pandemic compared with in-person, center-based programming offered prior to the pandemic. The focus was on older adults' engagement and outcomes. Matched groups of hybrid and in-person cardiac rehabilitation (CR) participants were created from existing data and compared using t-tests and repeated measures ANOVAs. Qualitative interviews were conducted with participating CR staff then transcribed, coded, and analyzed for key themes. There were significant differences in body mass index and weight from pre-to post-CR within both hybrid and in-person groups. Despite this, CR staff believed exercise adherence was reduced in the hybrid group when compared to those in the in-person program. In the future, TBCR should be considered as an adjunct to in-person CR. Reluctance to prescribe exercise needs to be addressed through CR staff training.