Session: Engagement in Paid and Unpaid Work in Later Life: From Conceptualization to Intervention and the Role of Social Work (Society for Social Work and Research 21st Annual Conference - Ensure Healthy Development for all Youth)

Engaging older adults in meaningful activities through work, volunteering or caregiving reaps benefits for all of society, yet older adults remain underutilized. Understanding engagement in later life is therefore critical for research and policy reasons. However, the nature and experience of older adults’ involvement is not well understood. To the extent that participation in productive roles contributes to healthy and vital aging, a full account of such enrichment effects depend on a more nuanced understanding of older adults’ subjective experiences within these roles. Psychological engagement refers to the experience of connecting on a deep and meaningful level with a role. While there is a well-developed body of knowledge on engagement within paid work, little is known about what engagement looks and feels like in other later life roles (e.g., volunteering and caregiving) and how engagement in these roles relates to overall health and well-being.

This symposium presents cutting-edge investigations exploring various dimensions of the concept of engagement in later life. The first two presentations focus on results from the EngAGE Study, which was an Ecological Momentary Assessment (EMA) study that examined the real-time experiences of contemporary older adults involved in paid work, volunteering, and caregiving. The first of these focuses on the feasibility of using iPad technology to collect EMA data among older adults, while the second focuses on testing a mediation model of daily engagement and its effects on health and well-being. The third presentation reports on findings of a randomized controlled trial of the Engaged4Life program, which was an intervention focused on increasing meaningful activity engagement and physical activity among community dwelling older adults. The fourth presentation brings together research across diverse disciplines to propose a conceptual framework and research agenda for the study of engagement in paid and unpaid work in later life. A discussant will comment on how these various papers expand the scope of aging research and will relate this discussion to the American Academy of Social Work & Social Welfare’s Grand Challenge on Advancing Long and Productive Lives.