How To Give Back in Your “Second Act”
A part-time job helping others could enrich your own life
Photo Credit: Getty Images
You’ve retired, or your retirement date is fast approaching. Congratulations! This milestone brings a lot of good things with it – from a sense of achievement to not having to set your alarm for 7 a.m. each morning.
What’s more, retirement doesn’t have to mean your productive days are behind you. Nor does it mean that you’ve reached the end of professional and personal fulfillment, either.
You can experience the perks of retirement – more leisure time for family visits, walks with friends, catching up on the latest novel, or watching the movies in your queue. You can also continue to experience the satisfaction that comes with meaningful work.
One way to achieve this win-win retirement is with a part-time job as a caregiver. You could provide services that enhance the lives of older adults and allow them to stay safe and healthy in their homes.
Here are three benefits to “un-retiring” and taking on a caregiving role.
1. Satisfaction — You’re making your community stronger and contributing to the well-being of older adults and their families. Research shows helping others is a boon to your own physical and emotional health too. The warm fuzzy feeling you get when you give back is created by the release of feel-good brain chemicals like serotonin, dopamine and oxytocin.
In turn, those brain chemicals are associated with a host of psychological benefits that may include increased self-esteem, lower levels of stress, and a decreased risk of depression. Also, people who provide social support to others have lower blood pressure than their peers who don’t. According to several studies, the bottom line is, helping others can help you live longer.1
2. An “encore career” and extra income — Many Americans plan to keep working after they retire.2 Earning extra income to meet expenses, or spend on the things you enjoy – gifts for the grandkids, vacations, concerts, or dining experiences – is one clear benefit of not retiring fully.
Even still, about one-third of people said they’d continue to work part time for reasons that go beyond financial, such as avoiding boredom and enjoying relationships forged through work.3 With scarce employment opportunities in many industries, including retail, finding a part-time job can be challenging. Here’s the good news: There’s a surge of hiring taking place in the field of in-home caregiving.
Photo Credit: Home Instead
3. Flexibility — A part-time job as a caregiver is a rewarding career that allows you to work according to your schedule or preferences, especially when you apply for a job with a company like Home Instead. And, unlike a second-act career that requires advanced skills and extensive training, caregiving relies on qualifications like compassion, an interest in getting to know people, and organizational skills. Training is often available for more specialized roles too if that’s of interest.
As a caregiver to seniors in your area, you’ll make scheduled visits to your clients’ homes and provide supportive care. The tasks you’ll be asked to perform vary. They may include meal preparation, household help, Alzheimer’s care, personal care, or transportation to doctor’s appointments and grocery stores.
You can redefine retirement on your own terms, while brightening the lives of others and easing families’ caregiving responsibilities. Consider filling part of your day with meaningful work as a caregiver to seniors.
