A Senior Center may provide
congregate meals like a breakfast or a tasty hot lunch
free or for a small donation. Congregate meals are meals
that are offered to seniors in groups like at Senior Center
and provides at least one meal per day to seniors at no
cost. All seniors 60 years of age and over, regardless
of income, are eligible to participate in and receive
free meals in a congregate meal setting. These program
contribute to senior nutrition and health.
For meal reservations call
your senior center.
In a poll the most common
responses seniors gave for eating at the senior center
were that they enjoyed the meals (63%), enjoyed socializing
(61 %), and meals are inexpensive (57%).
Senior
Center
Also Known As
Senior Center
is also called by many names:
Senior Activity Center Active Adult Center
Adult Activities Center
Adult Recreation Center Adult Care Centers
Senior Day Center
Adult Learning Center
Adult Recreation Center
Senior Community Center and Senior Citizens Center.
National
Institute of Senior Centers - NISC is a dynamic
network of senior center professionals from around the country.
They believe that senior centers create opportunities for
successful aging in our communities.
Research
shows that older adults who participate in senior center
programs experience measurable improvements in their physical,
social, spiritual, emotional, mental and economic well-being.
-National Council on Aging
We
would agree with the above statement based on our observations.
Participants seem to be happier and more engaged in life
and are interesting to talk with. .
By
some accounts, there may be 15,000 Senior Centers in neighborhoods
across America. A Senior Center is a place where seniors
age 50+ can visit that provides programs and services that
will help them stay active and engaged in their communities.
What
is a Senior Center
Senior Center programs and
senior center activities vary between centers. All programs
serve older adults' needs for social interaction, intellectual
stimulation, emotional enhancement, and help to improve
and maintain their physical condition, wellness, and overall
quality of life.
Senior Centers are run by local
governments in cooperation with departments, area agencies
on aging and other levels of government. There are many
non profit Senior Centers as well. More What
is Senior Center
Personal
Assistance To Find Senior Living / Care
Active
Adult Center
Adult Education and Recreation
Centers are for the more active 50+ and are very popular.
These are similar to Senior Centers but offer programs geared
toward more active and younger users.
Adult Centers are usually part of the Parks and Recreation
Department and don't include congregate meals.
"Senior centers help
seniors maintain their independence and vitality."
Assistance Programs
Senior Centers have other programs that assist seniors including
transportation, assistance with government programs like
Veterans benefits, Medicare, and Income Tax return prepartion.
The purpose of SeniorCenterDirectory.com
is to help you understand senior centers and what they provide.
At the bottom of this page we have links to information
about Senior Centers in your state.
Above is a photo I took at the opening
of the Johns Creek GA Active Adult Center and is of a cooking
demostration in their wonderful commerical kitchen. This
center is located in a renovated historic school house located
in Newtown Park. Adjacant is the community vegatable gardens
and the new Bocce Ball courts.
Boomers Becoming Seniors
As baby boomers become seniors
(boomers are turning 65 this year!) Senior Centers will
be changing to accommodate the boomer's generation and lifestyle.
We have some articles about visits to Senior Centers. We
have visited some impressive and then some not so impressive
senior centers. Hopefully all senior centers can improved
to be like those listed on our Best Senior Centers in the
USA list.
Find a Senior Center | Active
Adult Center
Finally, we are developing
a Database
of Senior Centers nationwide which will
take some time but we have a start. Senior Centers are invited
to submit a free listing of their center to this database
Senior Centers can be a great
recourse for you as you age in place in your own neighborhood.
Get out today and visit one. You are sure to receive a warm
reception.
More
About Senior Centers
A senior center is different
than a senior community. You visit a Senior Center in
your neighborhood. A senior community is a retirement
community where you live. These are totally two different
things.
Baby Boomers do not
always like the name "Senior". So some other
names are beginning to be used like Active Adult Center
and Adult Activity Center. Some other suggestions are
Boomer Centers, Life Centers, Activity Center, Lifelong
Learning Centers and Communities Centers.
Senior Center Users
People who stay and age in place in their
own neighborhoods typically use senior centers, even though
we have heard many people who move to a senior community
located near a senior center, which sounds like the ideal
set up to us.
Age requirement varies by location, we have
seen many at age 50, many more 55 and 60, with the highest
age limit requirement being age 62.
You are sure to enjoy interacting with people
your age from your own neighborhood that use your local
senior center. Single, widowed, divorsed and married couples
all enjoy the use of their senior center. Some seniors use
and also voluteer at their senior center.
Senior Centers are not all alike, so get
out and visit the senior centers in your area or an area
you are thinking about moving to. No better time to visit
now. You will be welcomed and given a tour of the senior
center and the senior center activities provided. Just do
it, it is fun! Many first time visitors sign up for an activity
like the book club, walking club or yoga or even just take
a one time class on something interesting.
Senior Center Activities
Senior centers offer all or some of the
following activities, which is one of the main reasons
for their existence, to keep people active and engaged.
Senior center activities include exercise and fitness
programs; computer classes; arts and crafts; recreational,
educational, and social activities; health screenings
and services; special programs and speakers; and volunteer
opportunities. Senior resource centers offer dances and
dance classes which we have found is an extremly popular
activity.
Also there are travel opportunities both
locally, regionally and worlwide. Cruises are popular
too.
Then there are support group and clubs
of all sortts. We have an excellent list of senior center
activities on our page Senior
Center Activities
The growing senior population aging in
place is increasing the demand for programs and services
like those provided by senior centers. Senior Center activities
help you age in place right in your own neighborhood.
Culturally
sensitive senior day centers for Hindu and East
Indian seniors and other cultures could become more prevalence
in the US. Also senior centers affiliated with religions.
Meals
on Wheels Program
Nearly six million seniors faced the threat
of hunger in 2007.
11.4 percent of all seniors experienced some form of food
insecurity. Of these, about 2.5 million were at risk of
hunger and about 750,000 suffered from hunger due to financial
constraints.
Many Senior Centers provide Meals on Wheels
programs and this is also a volunteer opportunity for
seniors.
