Helping older adults can bring up both positive and negative emotions.
The rewards people feel from helping older adults can include:
- Being proud about doing their best to help
- Giving back to someone who helped them
- Finding new meaning or purpose in life
- Feeling needed or appreciated
- Growing in their skills and confidence
- Developing closer relationships
Helpers can also:
- Learn useful, practical information
- Develop personal strengths
- Understand their own aging and options better
- Make connections with individuals and organizations
- Gain new perspective on their own priorities
People are more likely to benefit from helping older adults when they:
- Value their relationship with the older adult
- Respect the older adult’s knowledge, abilities and wishes
- Support the older adult’s goals and decisions
- Have support from their family and friends
- Understand when things are beyond their control
- Look for positives and lessons learned from challenging situations
- Give themselves credit for all they do
- Manage their stress and take care of themselves
