Baycrest

To become a volunteer, contact: Baycrest Volunteer Services, 3560 Bathurst St. Toronto, Ontario M6A 2E1 416-785-2500 ext. 2572. volunteer@baycrest.org Want a healthy brain? Volunteer! A wide range of scientists and researchers are coming to the conclusion that being a volunteer is good for your health and quality of life. In addition to being happier, people who take on volunteer activities seem to have healthier brains. These exciting benefits are especially apparent in the later years of life when many people have more time available for volunteer activities. "In one study that followed people over 14 years, volunteers had better cognitive functioning, but they also maintained their ability to function better than non- volunteers," says Nicole Anderson, a senior scientist at Baycrest's Rotman Research Institute. As a long-time volunteer at Baycrest, Anne Katz felt quite privileged to be able to contribute to an important research project about the benefits of volunteering for older adults. As part of the Baycrest Research About Volunteering in Older Adults (BRAVO) team she tested and interviewed volunteers recruited specifically for this project. Over the course of the study, she saw common threads that linked volunteers in various ways and discovered just how important volunteering was to their lives. People feel energized after volunteering and feel they get more out of volunteering than they put in. Volunteering provides a unique opportunity for learning new things, being challenged in different ways and meeting new people. Although there is no magic key that will guarantee a strong healthy brain, it's becoming increasingly clear that getting out and volunteering your time is a great way to improve your quality of life, and your chances of having a healthy brain well into old age. Volunteers make a difference every day in the lives of Baycrest residents. BECOME A PART OF OUR VISION. INSPIRATION PURPOSE BECOME A PART OF OUR VISION PURPOSE FULFILMENT INSPIRATION

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