Many older adults and retirees would love the opportunity to volunteer and be of service to their community. Volunteering can also be a stepping-stone to learning new skills while utilizing the skills you already possess. It can also be a great method of social networking. Volunteering offers a lot of positives, but finding the right volunteer job for you is the most important first step.

AARP has an informative article called Finding the Right Opportunity. The AARP article suggests you start by asking yourself these questions:

* Why am I interested in volunteering?
* What type of activities am I interested in?
* What are my natural strengths and gifts? What do I really enjoy doing?
* Would I prefer a small local organization, or a larger regional or national one?
* What issues do I care most about?
* How will my desire to serve fit in with my current time commitments?
* How much time do I want to give? What days, or parts of days?
* Would I prefer to do something in my own neighborhood, or travel to another?

They also suggest you consider becoming an AARP volunteer. Check out the article for information on finding the right volunteer opportunity and for a link to the volunteer opportunities in your state.

The FAA is considering raising the retirement age for commercial pilots from 60 to 65 in the light of recent studies that show that, at least in piloting aircraft, experience may offset the impact of aging.

A study of 118 non-commercial pilots aged 40 to 69 was conducted annually for three years. Although initially the younger pilots performed better, over time the older pilots showed less decline in scores than did younger pilots and over time their traffic avoidance performances improved more than that of younger pilots.

These findings show the advantageous effect of prior experience and specialized expertise on older adults’ skilled cognitive performances,” said study author Joy L. Taylor, PhD, with the Stanford/VA Aging Clinical Research Center in Palo Alto, California. “Our discovery has broader implications beyond aviation to the general issue of aging in the workplace and the objective assessment of competency in older workers.”

The study was published in the February 27, 2007 issue of the journal Neurology, the scientific journal of the American Academy of Neurology.

The Eldercare Locater has launched its 4th annual drive to encourage older adults to volunteer during the holiday season and share their unique abilities and talents.

Studies show that older adults who keep physically and socially active suffer less depression and fewer physical ailments. Volunteering provides purpose and an opportunity to contribute.

The Eldercare Locator links to local Area Agencies on Aging and Title VI programs that can connect older adults to a variety of volunteer programs that involve people of all ages and backgrounds. These include planning events for children’s charities, visiting the homebound, serving as a foster grandparent, and cooking and delivering meals to those in need.

‘Tis the season for giving and the rewards are oten greater than any gift you could receive this Christmas.

Eldercare Locator

Ralph Waldo McBurney is a beekeeper. He believes that you have to keep active because, what is the alternative?

At 104, Waldo is “America’s Oldest Worker”. Waldo works every day at his honey business and when he isn’t working he fills orders for copies of his books, signing each one before mailing it out. The title of his autobiography? My First 100 Years.

CBS news has an article about Waldo here. And you can watch the entire interview with Waldo here