Gaining health while giving back to the...( feeling stronger compared with 18 per...)

Gaining health while giving back to the community

feeling stronger, compared with 18 percent of controls, and there was a 13 percent increase in those who reported their strength as very good to excellent, versus a 30 percent decline among controls.

Cane use decreased in 50 percent of users in the intervention group, compared with 20 percent in the control group. Falls also decreased.

In terms of social activity, Experience Corps volunteers reported a significant increase, compared to a decline in the control group, in the number of people they felt they could turn to for help.

In measuring cognitive benefit, the researchers say that increases in cognitive activities in the school were not offset by a decrease in book reading and other such mental activities at home in participants. TV viewing, considered the "most common low intensity activity," declined by 4 percent in volunteers and increased by 18 percent in the control group.

"In contrast to other programs that target health care beneficiaries, the Experience Corps program is designed to attract all adults, including those less likely to participate in formal health-promotion programs," says Fried. "We show it can lead to meaningful short-term improvement in healthy behaviors for older adults while they, at the same time, offer social capital that is highly valued," says Fried.

While Experience Corps may be expensive for the short-term health improvements it offers volunteers, when potential benefits for students and possible long-term benefits are factored in, the program could be highly cost-effective, say Hopkins researchers.

This study, published in the same issue of the Journal as a companion to the Hopkins pilot study of the health benefits inherent in the Experience Corps program, found cost per volunteer (assuming 500 volunteers were enrolled) was $3,613, or about $7 per hour of volunteer time. Short-term improvements in older adult health resulted in medical care cost savings of $273 per volunteer.
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6-Apr-2004

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