6 Things To Know About Senior Community Centers

Seniors need to feel a sense of purpose and connect with like-minded people to continue living their lives to the fullest. Staying active, engaging with friends, and community support contribute to their happiness and well-being.  

Older adults may need special equipment and facilities to continue doing what they love to do without risking their safety. Fortunately, senior community centers are designed especially for such needs. These facilities are open to seniors who want to socialize, stay active, and access resources about aging with less fear or worry.  

Below are some facts you might not know about these public facilities.

1. Senior Community Centers Provide Comprehensive Services 

These specialized facilities offer valuable services accessible to older adults aged 60 and older in the hopes of improving their well-being. Assistance programs vary from one facility to another, but most senior community centers provide these:

• To promote physical soundness and fight diseases: fitness and health programs, meal subsidies, exercise programs 

• To boost their sense of purpose: employment assistance, volunteering, civic engagement opportunities

• For information dissemination: benefits counseling, legal aid, and consultations

• For socialization: out-of-facility trips, social events, recreational activities, community support groups, intergenerational activities  

• For skills enhancements: educational and arts programs

• Other types of assistance 

As mentioned, senior community centers don't have the same programs and activities lined up for their participants. Ask your nearest facility to discover their services.  

In the US, over one million older adults take advantage of the resources and amenities offered by about 11,000 senior centers countrywide, according to the National Council on Aging (NCOA).

2. Senior Community Centers Are Free

Unlike other social groups, participants don't need to pay for membership and additional fees to access such resources. As senior community centers are public facilities, they're open to anyone who's over 60 and wants to network with other older adults in the community. 

These centers are publicly and privately- funded and don't discriminate. Because of this, most of these facilities rely on volunteers to run their programs. Besides putting in the time, volunteers often provide other means of operational support, including fundraising initiatives and transportation assistance.         

3. Seniors Can Volunteer Or Find Work In These Facilities 

Center volunteers don't have age limits. Thus, participants who think they have what it takes to make a good paid or volunteer worker can spend their time contributing to improving the services. 

Working at a senior center is a good way to supplement one's retirement funds. For instance, Caregiver-Direct Support Professionals earn USD$23 per hour. But, as with other jobs, hourly rates will depend on your locality and the position.

Similarly, these community centers link retired workers with local staffing agencies and headhunters for job placements. Job offers are either on-call, temporary, part-time, or full-time.  

Senior centers can accommodate participants who want to volunteer elsewhere and occasionally. These facilities launch activities like feeding programs, community pantries, and other assistance activities for those in need.   

(Photo : Adobestock)

4. Senior Centers Don't Discriminate  

Research has discovered the average age of participants in senior community centers is 75, from all races-from Caucasian to African Americans, Hispanics, and Asians. The research also found that about 70% of participants are women, half of them living alone. Moreover, approximately 75% of guests visit once to three times weekly, spending more than three hours each time.  

5. Anyone Can Donate Funds Or Provide Support To Senior Centers

Because these facilities offer free services, senior centers need all the support they can get to continue operating. While the bulk of funding sources come from federal and state governments, these establishments accept funding boosts from any of the following: 

• Town or city contributions 

• Contributions from participants

• Fundraising activities

• Private and public grants 

• Business donations 

• Personal donations 

Some extra services offered in these places also come with minimal fees, for instance, for outside trips or Zumba classes. For example, participants who joined the Smart Driver Course last March 15 at Madison Senior Center in Wisconsin were asked USD$20.  

6. Senior Centers Help Elders Stay Healthy

The NCOA research referenced earlier suggests that senior center participants have higher health, social interaction, and life satisfaction levels than non-center participants. Such a finding isn't surprising, as senior community centers have multiple health programs encouraging participants to stay physically and mentally active. 

Indeed, the National Institute on Aging recommends self-care, regular health screenings, physical and mental activity, social activities, and stress management to maintain cognitive health in older adults. 

More than launching exercise programs, these facilities likewise help their guests manage the symptoms of chronic diseases and conduct regular health check-ups. Periodic health screenings are helpful if you don't have wearables or the Internet of Things for tracking your health condition. 

Concluding Thoughts 

Senior community centers are vital establishments that improve the elderly's quality of life. These facilities allow seniors to stay active, socialize, and be happy. These centers also make the transition less scary for older adults with the available knowledge and resources they provide. 

Ultimately, these services benefit the center participants and their family members. With the increasing older adult population, the demand for such services will rise in the coming years.