By: Alan Bernstein, Houston Chronicle
Monday, February 03, 2003


From the February 1, 2003 Houston Chronicle article:

...These seniors who help seniors said the rewards of giving are so great that they get as much enrichment, if not more than, as the recipients.

"It just makes me so glad," Barnhill said. "You just feel so good when you walk away."

Now a University of Michigan psychology study is garnering national attention by backing up that feeling with scientific findings.

After tracking the health and fate of 423 older couples for five years, a psychology team concluded recently that seniors who lend support to others live longer.

"By making our contribution to others, we may be contributing to our own longevity," said lead psychologist Stephanie Brown of the university's Institute for Social Research....

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