The helping older people engage (HOPE) study: Protocol & COVID modifications for a randomized trial

Area of Science:

• Gerontology
• Public Health
• Social Science

Background:

• Loneliness significantly impacts older adults' health, functioning, and quality of life.
• Observational studies suggest volunteering is linked to better health and well-being in seniors.
• Randomized controlled trials (RCTs) are needed to confirm volunteering's benefits for loneliness.

Purpose of the Study:

• To evaluate the social-emotional benefits of a social volunteering program for lonely older adults.
• To examine the effectiveness of the AmeriCorps Seniors program in reducing loneliness.
• To provide evidence for scalable interventions to combat loneliness in later life.

Main Methods:

• A randomized controlled trial (RCT) involving up to 300 adults aged 60+ reporting loneliness.
• Participants were assigned to either the AmeriCorps Seniors volunteering program or an active control (self-guided life review) for 12 months.
• Co-primary outcomes included loneliness (UCLA Loneliness Scale) and quality of life (WHOQOL-Bref), assessed via self-report.

Main Results:

• Enrollment completed in May 2022, with follow-up assessments through May 2023.
• Primary outcome data collection concluded following the follow-up period.
• Results are pending analysis to determine the impact of volunteering on loneliness and quality of life.

Conclusions:

• If volunteering proves effective, integrating it into primary care could help lonely older adults.
• Dissemination strategies may involve connecting primary care patients with volunteering opportunities via aging services.
• This RCT (ClinicalTrials.gov: NCT03343483) provides a robust design for future research on social interventions for seniors.