When someone is deep in the work of caring for a loved one with Alzheimer’s, the suggestion to volunteer — to give more time to someone else — can sound almost absurd. Most caregivers are already running on empty. Why would taking on more help?
The answer is less counterintuitive than it sounds.
The Research Behind It
Older adults who gave their time through volunteer work showed better memory and thinking skills than peers who did not volunteer, with the greatest cognitive benefits seen in those who volunteered every week.
That finding matters for caregivers in two directions. For the person living with Alzheimer’s, supported engagement — including volunteer or community activities suited to their abilities — can support cognitive function. For care partners, volunteer activities can provide a form of respite, allowing them to focus on their own well-being while their loved one is actively engaged, which can reduce stress and help prevent burnout.
Research has also linked volunteering to lowering of emotional and hormonal stress-reactivity, reduced cardiovascular disease risk, and lower inflammatory markers — all conditions that Alzheimer’s caregivers are at elevated risk of developing.
What This Looks Like in Practice
Volunteering doesn’t have to mean a formal commitment. For many caregivers, the most meaningful entry point is simply connecting with others who understand the experience.
Connecting with others who know the challenges of caregiving is validating and comforting and reduces feelings of loneliness. A caregiver support group — which often includes peer mentoring, shared problem-solving, and community — carries many of the same benefits as structured volunteering.
The Alzheimer’s Association offers a range of volunteer opportunities specifically designed for those touched by the disease, including those who are currently caregiving. Community members can deliver presentations on brain health, assist at events, or connect with others through.
What Christy Singrey Sees
As a medical social worker with over 30 years of experience at Angels of Mercy Home Care, Christy Singrey works regularly with caregivers who have withdrawn from the outside world entirely — convinced that any time spent on themselves is time taken away from their loved one.
That logic is understandable. It’s also a pathway to burnout.
Caregivers who stay connected — who find even small ways to engage with their communities or support others who are in similar circumstances — tend to sustain the role longer and with more resilience. It’s not about doing more. It’s about not disappearing entirely.
Giving a little, it turns out, can restore a lot.
