For suitable mental stimulation 9. For suitable living arrangements and family relationships 10. Old age does not bring about a radical change in their beliefs, interests, or preferences. Activities that help people keep up past lifestyles, and over which they have some control, should facilitate the adjustment process. Activities can range from watching television to participating in Elderhostel programs, or playing cards at the community center to providing childcare to their grandchildren.
Activities can also serve many purposes.
While some activities are purely enjoyable in and of themselves, others fulfill higher cognitive or psycho-social needs. When used to facilitate successful aging through enhanced life satisfaction in a patient population experiencing physical loss, the type of leisure activity promoted by physical therapists should be carefully considered. Participation by the elderly in volunteer positions is one specific type of leisure activity which holds promise for enhancing the effectiveness of direct physical therapy services. Of the unlimited types of leisure activities the elderly may choose to engage in, volunteering is unique in its integration of a broad range of benefits for its participants. It offers productive roles in a variety of settings that can provide the elderly with feelings of usefulness, mental challenge, and social integration.