Impact of Senior Center Friendships on Aging Women Who Live Alone

Abstract

Elderly women who live alone are considered at greater risk for loneliness, depression, and decreased mobility. This paper examines the influences of late-life friendships and senior center activities on the health and well-being of aging women living alone. Based on the findings from 274 women living alone it was found that the senior center is an excellent environment where new supportive friendships can easily be formed. These friendships and other center activities have positive mental and physical outcomes. Using a comparison group of 171 elderly women living with their spouses, it was discovered that women who lived alone participated in center activities more frequently and, as a result, also created a social network that extended outside of the center environment.

Predictors of Senior Center Attendance in Korea: Findings From a National Analysis

“…Almost all findings in previous empirical studies strongly support the intended goals of senior centers: promoting health and well-being (Fulbright, 2010;Kirk & Alessi, 2002;Pardasani, 2004;Schneider, Chapman, & Voth, 1985) and fulfilling the needs of socialization (Aday, Kehoe, & Farney, 2006;Eaton & Salari, 2005;Fulbright, 2010;Turner, 2004). Senior centers, an integral component of the service delivery network for older people living in the community, play a significant role on the continuum of elder care as they prevent or delay institutionalization (Aday et al, 2006;Felix et al, 2014;Fitzpatrick, McCabe, Gitelson, & Andereck, 2006;Fulbright, 2010;Pardasani, 2004Pardasani, , 2010Pardasani & Thompson, 2012).…”

Perceptions of Leisure by Older Adults Who Attend Senior Centers

“…For example, 56% of 856 adults identified that people at senior centers are usually the only people with whom they interact during the day and 90% view this contact to be important (Turner, 2004). Since senior centers often provide a context for creating a supportive peer group (Aday et al, 2006), research is needed to determine ways to facilitate connections. Simone and Haas (2013) demonstrated positive effects of engaging in leisure and remaining socially active in old age and called for interventions that help older adults experience leisure.…”

“…Senior centers reduce older adults' loneliness (Boen, Dalgard, Johansen, & Nord, 2010) and provide a context to develop social networks (Aday, Kehoe, & Farney, 2006). Although leisure is a resource for successful aging, few researchers have tried to understand the leisure of adults who use senior centers (Felix et al, 2014).…”

Increased physical activity, physician recommendation, and senior center participation

“…More frequent usersof SC programs tend to be more socially involved [32], more socially active, and non-isolated although many live alone [33,34]. In fact, SCs are particularly important as sources of socialization for older women who live alone [27]. Given the importance of social interaction in promoting physical activity [35], social interaction at SCs is critical.…”