Hillsborough County issued the following announcement on Feb. 28.
Hillsborough County Aging Services is participating in a multi-state study to see if senior volunteers are effective at steering depressed or lonely fellow seniors toward activities that can improve their quality of life.
Area residents age 60 and older are involved in the Do More, Feel Better initiative both as participants and as lay "coaches" who assess individual's needs and help them plan appropriate physical, social, or recreational activities. Some of the emotionally-therapeutic pursuits are gardening, walking, calling friends, and engaging in Aging Services programs.
The five-year study is taking place in communities around the University of Washington, Cornell University, and the University of South Florida. Here, Aging Services has an ample supply of seniors eager to participate in USF's research..
Staying Active Can Help
Fontaine Fosco, 75, an attendee and volunteer at Brandon Senior Center, serves as a Do More, Feel Better coach. Since October she has worked with two participants. One has had cancer. The other felt isolated and spoke of returning to her home state.
After spending time with Fontaine, both are doing well. The first person began participating in Aging Services' virtual calls and programs, and took a trip. The second person now goes to church, joined a craft class, and decided to stay in the area.
Fontaine finds out what the participants enjoy doing and encourages them to pursue their passions. "They get depressed. They don't know what to do with themselves," she says. "I tell them about all the activities."
The Study
The Do More, Feel Better study dovetails nicely with Aging Services' mission to provide health and wellness services for older adults to encourage independence and improve their quality of life.
During the five-year study, USF researchers hope to work with about 120 participants and a dozen coaches from Aging Services. The participants were culled from seniors who indicated they were feeling down or sad. Aging Services works closely with all these seniors, including those who do not meet criteria for the study. That's in addition to weekly calls to all seniors involved with Aging Services while the County's senior centers are closed during the global pandemic.
The research centers on finding out whether volunteer senior "coaches" can be as effective as professionals.
The National institute of Mental Health is funding the multi-state study, with the hope of eventually lifting the spirits of seniors everywhere through positive activities. The need for such assistance is great, and enhanced by the pandemic which limits interpersonal relations.
Original source can be found here.
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