As Days Get Shorter, Senior Centers Offer a Warm Place to Connect

Have you explored what’s going on at your local senior center lately? Even though September in the Pacific Northwest can still be mild and sunny, the gloomier days of later fall—when weather turns rainy and chilly—will be here soon. It might be a good idea to check out what offerings are available at your local senior center to get ready for some cozy indoor activities.

The National Council on Aging and the National Institute of Senior Centers co-host Senior Center Month in September. There are more than 10,000 senior centers across the country that create spaces where older adults can find connection, purpose, and resilience in later life. Senior centers began in the 1940s and continually evolve to meet the changing needs of older adults. The three focus areas of this year’s Senior Center Month are:

• Healthy aging and wellness: Promoting physical and mental well-being.
• Social connection: Bringing generations together and combating isolation.
• Community engagement: Showcasing activities, support, and resources available at local hubs.

Senior centers are extremely diverse in the people they serve, the programs they offer, and the needs that they address in the community. In some cities, a community center may serve as a senior center with an intergenerational focus. In King County, for example, many senior centers are in racially and culturally diverse neighborhoods, with populations from India, Korea, China, Ukraine, Somalia and other African countries, Latin American countries, the Philippines, and many more. Some serve specific groups such as Native Americans, the LBGTQAI+ community, those living in rural areas, or those living in the inner city. Some may serve a general population.

Whomever they serve, the programming will usually be tailored to their needs, such as offering culturally familiar food and services in their native language. These offerings can also be recreational, like field trips to local sights, health-oriented like community meals and exercise, or educational information on how to apply for services that help people stay in their homes or get benefits they did not know about. The list is endless. Senior centers often just offer comfortable, friendly settings in which to play Scrabble or mahjong, sing songs, or just chat and connect with people who may share common interests. For more examples of the great work senior centers are doing, check out the article in this issue describing how two sources of public funding are helping some senior centers thrive and a link to senior centers in King County. You will likely find one near you!

More centers are coming up with interesting ways to bridge the generation gap and connect older adults and younger people. For example, in my neighborhood, the Greenwood Senior Center recently had local high school students give older adults a crash course in words and phrases they use every day, explaining what they mean and how they are used. The older adults responded with common expressions from their generation. They call it the “Teach Me Something Club,” and it will be a monthly regular offering, showing that every generation can teach and learn.

Another way to celebrate Senior Center Month is to educate your elected officials, both locally and in Washington, D.C., about how public dollars support services and benefits for older adults, caregivers, family members, and the community at large. Even if you don’t regularly participate now in senior center activities, senior center staff and participants are in a great position to explain how limiting funds for older adults can be detrimental to them remaining independent in their own homes and communities. It’s important to give elected officials real-life examples about how their policy decisions affect us as older adults. In this issue, learn about some great ideas on how to do this in Advocacy 101: Where Community and Advocacy Meet.

Past are the days in which senior centers were considered to be just a place where older adults can play bingo—unless, of course, it is bingo karaoke, which I hear is a blast! That may be one of the activities a center offers, which is wonderful, but these great hubs offer much, much more!

Contributor Alex O’Reilly chairs the Seattle-King County Advisory Council on Aging & Disability Services. She welcomes input from readers via email (advisorychair@agewisekingcounty.org).

Mark Your Calendars

The following are upcoming events of interest:

• ADS Advisory Council Meeting: Friday, Sept. 11 (12 p.m.–2 p.m.) virtual meeting. To receive the meeting link and information, email michael.adusah@seattle.gov in advance.
• Senior Resource Fair: Thursday, Sept. 17 (10 a.m.-12 p.m.) Peter Kirk Community Center, 352 Kirkland Avenue, Kirkland, 98033. Explore local services on health, wellness, legal assistance, transportation, senior living options, and more. Contact Peter Kirk Community Center by email at eparks@kirklandwa.gov or by phone at (425)587-3360.
• Building Accessible & Cohesive Behavioral Health Response for Older Adults: Monday, Sept. 21 (6:30 p.m.) The Wyncote Forum at Town Hall, 1119 8th Ave Seattle, WA 98101. Sound Generations invites you to a panel discussion, the first in a series of important community discussions on the challenges faced by older adults navigating our behavioral health systems.
• Fall Prevention Day: Monday, Sept. 17 (10 a.m.-12 p.m.) Sno Valley Senior Center 4610 Stephens Avenue, Carnation, WA 98014. Learn about Fall Prevention with Jean Corr with King County Emergency Medical Services.
• Resource Fair for Older Adults: Tuesday, Sept. 29 (11 a.m.-2 p.m.) Hangar 30, Magnuson Park, 6310 NE 74th St, Seattle, WA 98115. Explore resources and services available in the Seattle community that cater to older adults and their families.