The effectiveness of volunteer activities in a project for long-term care prevention to improve the QOL of volunteers themselves

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This study aimed to clarify the effects of elderly people's volunteer activities on their health performance and QOL. Seventy-eight potential volunteers for long-term care prevention were divided into an intervention group, for which a proactive program for activity assistance was provided, and a control group, for which participation in a normal course of lectures was recommended. A baseline survey was conducted in 2007, followed by a follow-up survey two years later. The intervention group demonstrated a significant improvement in the open-eye, one-leg standing time, while the control group showed improvements in satisfaction with life and social support.These findings suggest that activity assistance, even if performed about once per three months, may be effective in maintaining QOL of volunteers themselves.