Elderly who care for their grandchildren and other family members, friends, and loved ones tend to live longer than their counterparts, a research from the journal Evolution and Human Behavior (from Berlin, Germany) stated.
Although caring for grandchildren on a full-time basis can have downsides on health, helping occasionally has its perks for seniors.
If one has no contact with his grandchildren, he is more likely to have weaker health. This may be attributed to man’s evolutionary history related with childcare being part of the human species’ survival, according to Sonja Hilbrand, the study’s lead author (a PhD student in the University of Basel).
Considering this study’s findings, it might also be helpful to consider such when delivering home care services. As health care providers, we should encourage the elderly to continue caring for their grandchildren and other loved ones. In this way, they can still experience optimum quality life of life in their aging years.
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