Evidence of Medical Benefits of Non-Medical Care

By Care For You •

Care for You has long believed in medical benefits of non-medical care, whether that care is delivered through simple companionship, household activities or cultural experiences. The Company provided anecdotal evidence of this in a paper, “Why Stay At Home?”.

A study, “The Impact of Professionally Conducted Cultural Programs on the Physical Health, Mental Health, and Social Functioning of Older Adults,” complete with its outcomes, was published in The Gerontologist, Vol. 46, No. 6, 2006. Gene D. Cohen, MD, PhD, was the lead investigator on this study.

The intent of the study was to measure the impact, if any, of professionally conducted community-based cultural programs on the physical and mental health, and social activities of individuals aged 65 and older. The study was conducted in three geographic locations throughout the country, including greater Washington, DC.

The study solicited participants through mailed requests to be part of a study “to assess the general state of health and mental health as well as involvement in overall group activities of older adults living in the community. The notice for the intervention group differed only in that it sought singers for a chorale; no singing experience was required..”

Findings on the physical health side of the study included several that were statistically significant:

Self-Rating of Overall health: Over the course of the study, the intervention groups’ assessments of their health increased while the comparison groups’ decreased.

Number of Doctor Visits During the Past 12 Months: Both the intervention and comparison groups’ number of visits increased, but he comparison groups’ visits increased by more.

Number of Over-the-Counter Medications: Again, both groups’ OTC medications increased, but the comparison groups’ increase was greater.

Instances of Falls During the Past 12 Months: On this measure, the intervention groups’ numbers declined, but the comparison groups’ numbers increased.

The study also found that the intervention group, “reported a trend toward increased activities 12 month post-baseline, whereas the comparison group reported a decline during this same time period.” These differences are especially interesting in that the mean age of the participants was nearly 80 – greater than life expectancy.