Senior Centres in Canada and the United States: A Scoping Review

Abstract

Senior centres have been identified as a "focal point" for delivering services to the rapidly growing older adult populations in Canada and the United States. Despite this important role, academic research studying senior centres has been limited. This scoping review identified English-language empirical research studies focusing on senior centres that were published in an academic journal in 2000 or later. A total of 58 studies were identified (n = 51 American and n = 7 Canadian). The majority of the articles focused on themes related to the participation of individuals at senior centres; a smaller number focused on themes related to the senior centre environment. Based on the findings, it is suggested that future research focus on benefits of senior centre programming, with specific focus on needs of baby boomers; key factors related to funding, space, and staffing; and the characteristics and role of senior centres in the Canadian context.

New York City Senior Centers: Who Participates and Why?

“…The many Asian, Latinx, Black/African American, and first-generation immigrant older adults challenges senior centers to design programs that are culturally relevant and appeal to this diverse clientele. As noted in previous studies, a majority of senior center participants (66.6%) are currently single (never married, divorced, separated, or widowed) and half (50.3%) live alone (Kadowaki & Mahmood, 2018;Pardasani, 2010Pardasani, , 2019Pardasani & Sackman, 2014;Turner, 2004). This highlights how senior centers might be a source of socialization and companionship for participants.…”

“…Studies conducted over several decades have consistently found that senior center members tend to be older women who were never married or are widowed, with medium to low incomes, and minimal physical disabilities (Calsyn & Winter, 2000;Krout, 1998;Pardasani, 2004b;Turner, 2004). The average age of senior center members has been increasing over the years, raising concern that younger seniors are not using these services (Kadowaki & Mahmood, 2018;Krout, 1998;Pardasani, 2004bPardasani, , 2010Pardasani & Sackman, 2014;Turner, 2004;Walker et al, 2004). This trend has shown no signs of reversal in the last two decades.…”

“…Senior centers have made their mark not just in the United States, but in many countries around the world as an effective model for engaging community-dwelling older adults in health and recreation activities. Studies documenting their impact have been conducted in Canada, China, Czechoslovakia, South Korea, Norway, and Sweden (Ingvaldsen & Balandin, 2011; Kadowaki & Mahmood, 2018; Liu et al, 2017; Marhánková, 2014; Yoo, 2015). Although senior centers continue to be focal points of community-based services for older adults, their relevance has been decreasing (Pardasani, 2019).…”

“…As of 2017, the number of adults aged 65 years and older was estimated to be 49.2 million and expected to grow to 98 million by 2060 (Administration for Community Living, 2018). Several studies have shown that younger older adults are not as interested in attending senior centers as their older counterparts (Kadowaki & Mahmood, 2018; Pardasani & Sackman, 2014; Weil, 2014). Most publicly funded senior centers are reimbursed based on participation rates, and subsequently, decreased attendance impacts them negatively.…”

Physical activity benefits of attending a senior center depend largely on age and gender: a study using GPS and accelerometry data

“…As demonstrated by two recent reviews, the existing literature has mainly focused on what happens inside the senior center but there is a lack of information about seniors' lives beyond the center [33] and more research on the individual effects of senior center attendance is needed [34]. With the notable exception of Turner et al [35], who used pedometers to measure seniors' weekly physical activity, to our knowledge no other study has used a device-based measurement of physical activity.…”