Background/Objectives: Volunteering has been widely recognized as beneficial to the well-being of older adults, providing health benefits, increased social engagement, and a sense of purpose. This study aimed to explore the associations between volunteering and physical and mental health measures among older adults in Japan. Methods: Using an online survey conducted during the COVID-19 pandemic, 500 participants aged 65 and older were divided into volunteer and non-volunteer groups. Demographic, lifestyle, and health characteristics were comprehensively assessed using a series of reliable and validated instruments. Logistic regression analysis was used to explore the associations between volunteering and health outcomes. Results: The findings revealed that while there were no significant differences in physical health indicators and undertreatment of most diseases (with the exception of cataracts), volunteers reported significantly lower levels of depression and loneliness compared to non-volunteers. The volunteer group also showed greater engagement in social activities and hobbies, which may have contributed to their improved mental health outcomes. Conclusions: The results of this study add to the growing body of evidence suggesting that volunteering may be an effective, low-cost intervention for promoting mental health and social engagement among older adults.

The purpose of this study was to examine the association between sleep quality, frailty, and human relationships in Japanese older adults (aged 65 years and above, excluding those certified as requiring long-term care). This cross-sectional study used a questionnaire survey to gather demographic information, data on frequency of conversation and conversation partners, and employed the following validated instruments: Kihon Checklist (KCL), a Japanese instrument used to determine the care needs and frailty of older adults; the Dysphagia Risk Assessment for Community-Dwelling Elderly (DRACE) scale; Japanese versions of Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index (PSQI-J); the Geriatric Depression Scale-15 (GDS-15-J); and the University of California Los Angeles Scale (UCLA-J), an instrument to assess loneliness in older adults. The 500 respondents were divided into two groups based on sleep quality (PSQI-J): low sleep quality group (n = 167, 33.4%) and high sleep quality group (n = 333, 66.6%). Our analyses showed that the low sleep quality group had a KCL score of 5.55 ± 2.47, which indicated frailty. Binomial logistic regression analysis identified age, number of diseases under treatment, DRACE, GDS-15-J, and conversation frequency and discussion partner for important matters as factors (p < 0.05) associated with poor sleep quality. These factors could help enhance the detection of frailty and predictability of caregiving needs.

Comprehensive homecare assessment has been determined to be essential in the context of care management for community-dwelling older adults. However, the effectiveness of assessment tools for adherence and health outcomes is yet to be fully elucidated. Thus, in this systematic review, we aim to evaluate the effects of comprehensive homecare assessment tools on adherence and other health outcomes among community-dwelling older adults. Database searches were performed using CINAHL Plus with full text, PubMed, EMBASE, CENTRAL, and Ichushi. Randomized controlled trials search were conducted until September 2020. Studies comparing interventions using comprehensive homecare assessment tools were assessed using the Cochrane's risk of bias 2 for quality; in randomized trials, a meta-analysis was performed. Nine articles, including eight studies, were included in this review. All interventions involved comprehensive homecare assessment tools such as CGA, SEISAR, RAI-HC, TARGET combined with interRAI-HC, MDS-HC, and the Omaha system. As per the results of the meta-analysis, no difference was observed with regard to adherence (p =.11), hospital admission (p =.29), nursing home admission (p =.70), and mortality (p =.96) compared with the non-use of the assessment tools. The mental quality of life showed a significant effect in the comprehensive assessment group (standardized mean difference = 0.26; 95% confidence interval = 0.06 to 0.46; p =.01); however, certainty of the evidence (GRADE) was assessed to be moderate. Comprehensive homecare assessment tools may be particularly useful for enhancing the psychological quality of life beyond a comprehensive assessment. This review presents insufficient evidence to support adherence to homecare and the enhancement of other health outcomes for community-dwelling older adults.

Background/Objectives: Loneliness is a critical public health concern associated with adverse mental and physical health outcomes in later life. However, few large-scale studies have examined loneliness in relation to depression, aspiration risk, frailty, and social participation among Japanese older adults. This study examined associations between loneliness and psychosocial and health-related factors among older adults. Methods: This cross-sectional study involved a secondary analysis of data obtained from online surveys conducted in 2018 and 2021 among 1000 community-dwelling Japanese adults (≥65 years). Loneliness was assessed using the UCLA Loneliness Scale Version 3 and dichotomized at the median to define a high-loneliness group. Depressive symptoms, aspiration risk, frailty, conversation frequency, and volunteering participation were assessed using validated scales. Multivariable logistic regression was used to identify factors associated with loneliness and interaction terms were examined to assess effect modification. Results: High loneliness was observed in 52.2% of participants. Greater loneliness was significantly associated with depressive symptoms (GDS ≥ 5; OR = 4.69, 95% CI: 2.84–7.76), higher dysphagia risk (DRACE score; OR = 1.08, 95% CI: 1.00–1.16), and lower daily conversation frequency (OR = 0.76, 95% CI: 0.67–0.86); however, volunteering (OR = 0.475, 95% CI: 0.23–0.87) was a protective factor. Conclusions: Loneliness among Japanese older adults is closely linked to depressive symptoms and aspiration risk, while frequent conversations and volunteer participation appear to be protective. Community-based interventions promoting social engagement and oral health may mitigate loneliness and its health consequences and improve quality of life for older adults. Given the cross-sectional design, the observed associations should not be interpreted as causal.