senior centers: evolving to thrive - Administrator Login

innovations
NATIONAL COUNCIL ON AGING
FALL 2010 • ISSUE 3
EXPLORING SIGNIFICANT DEVELOPMENTS AND TRENDS IN AGING
SENIOR
CENTERS
TODAY
SENIOR CENTERS: EVOLVING TO THRIVE
BY JAMES FIRMAN
All successful organizations, including ­nonprofits,
Senior centers are no exceptions, and this issue of
must change in order to meet the needs of their clients
­Innovations is full of examples of how these vital
and respond to new ­conditions, opportunities, and
community-based organizations are ­finding powerful,
­challenges in the environment. In a word, they must
innovative ways to meet the changing needs and wants
evolve in order to remain relevant—and to thrive.
of older people and their ­communities.
article continues on page 3 >>>
SENIOR
CENTERS
TODAY
CHAIR
Monsignor Charles Fahey
PRESIDENT AND CEO
James Firman
[email protected]
EDITOR
Jean Van Ryzin
[email protected]
CONTRIBUTING WRITERS
Lori Radice
Howard Berger
Gail Dekovessey
Dianne Stone
Christine Beatty
Manoj Pardasani
Bob Pitman
Chuck Ricks
DESIGN
Strategic Communications & Planning
www.aboutscp.com
SENIOR CENTERS: EVOLVING TO THRIVE
1
IMPROVING SENIOR HEALTH
4
• Bringing Education into
the Community
• Offering Proven Programs
to Stay Healthy
KEEPING OLDER ADULTS
ENGAGED
6
• Tapping the Power of
Older Adults
• Offering Work Beyond
Retirement
GIVING SENIORS A VOICE
• Promoting Advocacy from
the Grassroots Up
SENIOR CENTER ACCREDITATION
8
10
• How and Why?
WAYS TO HELP
12
SIDEBARS
Innovations: A Publication of the
National Council on Aging, Issue 3
Fall 2010 • Volume 39, Number 3
Innovations is published four times a year by
the National Council on Aging, Inc., 1901
L Street, NW, 4th Floor, Washington, DC
20036. Innovations explores significant
developments or innovations in the field of
aging, particularly in the areas of communitybased services, public policy, best practices,
and research. Subscription is a benefit of
membership in NCOA, although institutional
subscriptions are available.
For subscriptions, fax your request to
(202) 479-0735, Attention: Innovations.
You can also e-mail [email protected] or write:
Innovations, 1901 L Street, NW, 4th Floor,
Washington, DC 20036. Single copies of
Innovations are free. Bulk orders are available on a prepaid basis: $25 for 5 and
$50 for 10. Call 1-800-373-4906.
© 2010 National Council on Aging, Inc.
All rights reserved. Reproduction in whole or
part without permission is prohibited.
ISSN 00096-2740
Pack Your Bag Demonstrates Value of Community Health Education
4
NISC: 40 Years of Supporting Senior Centers
6
The Value of Senior Centers: A Senior Perspective
9
The Need of the Hour: Senior Center Research
11
On the cover: North Shore Senior Center,
Northfield, IL
WHO WE ARE
The National Council on Aging is a nonprofit service and advocacy organization headquartered in Washington, DC. NCOA is a national voice for older Americans—especially those who are vulnerable and disadvantaged—and the community organizations
that serve them. It brings together nonprofit organizations, businesses, and government
to develop creative solutions that improve the lives of all older adults. NCOA works with
thousands of organizations across the country to help seniors find jobs and benefits,
improve their health, live independently, and remain active in their communities. For more
information, visit www.ncoa.org.
innovations
North Shore Senior Center, Northfield, IL
SENIOR CENTERS EVOLVING
TO THRIVE
>>> article continued from page 1
In many ways, necessity is the mother of invention. When
many senior centers first formed, they filled an important
void, creating a vital social space where older adults could
gather, socialize, and get nutritious meals. Funding from the
Older Americans Act (OAA) made many of these centers
possible, but OAA dollars have not grown fast enough to
keep pace with the growing population of older adults and
their changing needs.
The aging boomer population has needs and preferences
that are often quite different from previous generations. In
many places, senior centers have responded by reinventing
their programs—transforming congregate meals programs
into cafés, replacing bingo with evidence-based health
­programs, and offering professional leadership and volunteer
­opportunities not only in the senior center but in the broader
community.
This transformation is yielding vibrant, multi-service, even
multi-generational community centers that are providing
older adults and others a place not only to gather but to gain
the skills, resources, and connections they need to respond to
the personal and community challenges they face.
At NCOA, we’re thrilled by these developments. We’re
proud of the leadership provided by our National Institute
of Senior Centers (NISC), which is celebrating its 40th
­anniversary this year. NISC is the focal point for senior
center leaders across the country to connect and share
­approaches, ideas, resources, and through our accreditation
process, help senior centers raise their game and strengthen
their offerings.
A robust national network of strong senior centers is key to
NCOA’s goal of achieving much greater social impact. NISC
leaders and sites serve as vital partners in the development
of innovations and new services and provide a grassroots
­connection that both enriches and expands the strength of
our advocacy in Washington.
These centers are an important ear to the ground, ­providing
us with real-time insights into what older people are
­struggling with and need. They also ensure that tools,
­technical assistance, and other offerings from NCOA meet
those needs.
NISC has great potential as a national network for ­educating
older adults on important health, economic, and policy
­issues. For example, we know from our ­communications
with senior centers that older adults are confused about
health reform. Our recent Straight Talk for Seniors
­campaign (NCOA.org/StraightTalk) provided fact sheets, a
­downloadable toolkit, and a Webinar to help aging ­services
professionals at hundreds of senior centers nationwide
bring accurate information on health reform to hundreds of
­thousands of older adults.
NCOA also recently joined 26 other organizations in an
interactive televised town hall hosted by President Barack
Obama and Health & Human Services Secretary Kathleen
Sebelius. Of the 110 satellite meetings that were held around
the country to view and discuss the event, 60 of them were
senior center events organized by NCOA/NISC!
NCOA and NISC are fully committed to helping ­senior
­centers cope with the changing health and economic
­concerns of today’s seniors and get ready for the imminent
influx of baby boomers. We will create a brighter future
for senior centers in the United States by continuing to be
a national focal point for standards, best practices, thought
leadership, innovation, and advocacy.
James Firman is President and CEO, NCOA
NATIONAL COUNCIL ON AGING • FALL 2010 • ISSUE 3
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SENIOR
CENTERS
TODAY
IMPROVING SENIOR HEALTH
BRINGING EDUCATION INTO THE COMMUNITY
BY LORI RADICE
I
n today’s world, seniors are bombarded
with health information every day and
from every direction. It’s quite a challenge
to sort through it all and understand what
information is both relevant and reliable.
Senior centers can help. Every month,
Town ‘N Country Senior Center serves
3,500 older adults. We have a unique
­opportunity to give them reliable
­information and activities to help them
manage and improve their own health.
And it all happens in a non-threatening,
non-medical environment with lots of
peer support.
However, providing quality health
­information programs requires
­partnerships. Most senior centers don’t
have the in-house expertise or staff time
to develop health-related programs on an
array of topics. We’ve been fortunate to
work with NCOA to offer seniors a wide
variety of education programs on health
issues they cope with every day.
NCOA has partnered with corporate sponsors to create and make these
­educational programs available to ­local
sites at no cost—bringing in health
­professionals as presenters or ­providing
“a program in a box” that includes a
­presentation and educational materials
that senior centers can use to conduct
their own events.
Here are some examples of health
­education programs that we’ve offered at
Town ‘N Country:
• P
ack Your Bag focuses on the
­importance of medication management
and allows seniors to meet one-onone with pharmacists to review their
daily medications and supplements for
­potential interactions. (Sponsored by
CVS/pharmacy.)
• P
atchwork of Hope Network points
patients with shingles and postherpetic
neuralgia, or after-shingles pain, to
resources that help. (Sponsored by Endo
Pharmaceuticals.)
• A
Look Within: What to Know, What
to Do, What to Ask highlights the importance of MRI safety for people with
pacemakers. (Sponsored by Medtronic.)
The results of these and other health
education programs have been surprising.
For many older adults, these educational
events raise awareness that leads to action.
Not only do they report learning new
facts and information, but many make
real changes in their lives to improve their
own health. At our center, it may mean
signing up for one or more of our health
and wellness classes, such as Tai Chi or
Fitness to Go Boot Camp.
One important lesson learned is that
b­ etter health starts with engaging ­seniors
at their current comfort level. Not
everyone is ready to commit to a multiweek health management class or exercise
program. As a first step, someone might
be willing to attend a one- or two-hour
presentation on medication management,
diabetes, or shingles. We’re here with the
next steps, too, when they’re ready.
Lori Radice is Manager of Town ‘N County
Senior Center, Tampa, FL
Pack Your Bag Demonstrates Value of Community Health Education
For the past three years, NCOA has partnered with
CVS/pharmacy to bring the Pack Your Bag program to
over 750 senior centers across the country.
In over 7,000 Pack Your Bag consultations, CVS
­pharmacists have discovered that:
• 10% of seniors were taking expired medications
• 11% were at risk for potential drug interactions
• 15% were not taking medications as prescribed
• 15% had the opportunity to switch to money-saving
generics
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NATIONAL COUNCIL ON AGING • FALL 2010 • ISSUE 3
“Through the Pack Your Bag program, pharmacists have
identified many seniors using the same exact medications from two different pharmacies,” says Brian Zellers,
a CVS/pharmacy supervisor in Florida. “Pharmacists are
able to fully explain how seniors can get the most benefit
out of their medications and can help them organize a
daily routine to stay healthy.”
innovations
OFFERING PROVEN PROGRAMS TO STAY HEALTHY
BY GAIL DEKOVESSEY
Holiday Park, Wheaton, MD
S
enior centers have strong ties to the
communities they serve, making
them a natural setting for healthy living
initiatives. At Bergen County’s 10 Senior
Activity Centers, we’ve made evidencebased healthy aging programs part of our
ongoing wellness efforts.
Evidence-based programs have been
proven to deliver results. They are structured, researched, and tested with various
populations. By offering evidence-based
programs, senior centers have the opportunity to make a real impact on older
adults’ health, helping them to eat better,
exercise more, reduce pain, prevent falls,
and manage chronic disease.
There are many advantages of evidencebased health programs. These include:
• S cripted, well-packaged program
­materials.
• T
raining for class facilitators, whether
they’re staff or volunteers.
• D
emonstrated effectiveness, which
helps in recruiting and retaining participants and finding funders to support the
program.
Three of our 10 centers offer the
­evidence-based Arthritis Foundation
Exercise Program. One of the groups
has been going strong for over two
years. Some participants who had never
­exercised before have found these gentle
exercises are helping them regain mobility
and decrease pain.
In 2008, we partnered with two other
agencies to receive funding from the New
Jersey Department of Health & Social
Services to implement Stanford University’s chronic disease self-management
program (CDSMP). Seventy-one of our
By offering evidence-based programs, senior centers have the opportunity
to make a real impact on older adults’ health, helping them to eat better,
exercise more, reduce pain, prevent falls, and manage chronic disease.
center participants have completed this
six-week workshop, including eight
women from the Bergen County Deaf
Club.
The results have been fantastic. Our
seniors report increased physical ­activity,
more responsible nutrition choices,
a ­general increase in knowledge, and
improved confidence in their ability to
handle health issues. Seven staff members
have been trained as leaders, so we have
a built-in ability to continue offering
workshops.
Evidence-based health programs are
the future, thanks to their proven track
record and ease of implementation. As
more ­information about these programs
becomes available, senior centers will
­become the “go-to” place for programs that can literally be life-changing
­experiences.
To learn more about programs to improve
senior health, please visit NCOA.org/
improving-health.
Gail DeKovessey is Assistant Program
­Coordinator/Aging at the Bergen County
Division of Community Development,
Hackensack, NJ
NATIONAL COUNCIL ON AGING • FALL 2010 • ISSUE 3
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SENIOR
CENTERS
TODAY
KEEPING OLDER ADULTS ENGAGED
TAPPING THE POWER OF OLDER ADULTS
BY CHRISTINE BEATTY
S
enior centers recognize the value of
older adults, and we’re in a unique
position to mobilize the skills, talents,
and experience of this important human
resource.
Savvy senior center leaders recognize
that older adults want a meaningful role
in their community and that significant
service in one’s community advances a
person’s quality of life.
Fifteen years ago, the Madison Senior
Center established team leaders—­
individuals with additional training and
responsibility who supervised other
volunteers. More recently, an NCOA
grant allowed us to further strengthen our
volunteer program by developing more
refined processes for unpaid staff, creating
project consultant volunteers, and mobilizing self-directed teams of senior adults.
Madison Senior Center staff, ­volunteers,
and board members are invested in
our robust program of 300 volunteers
of all ages, providing 8,000 hours of
­service ­annually. Essential processes
and ­opportunities have been developed,
and our ­organizational capacity has
expanded. Emerging cohorts of older
adults are attracted by and anticipate
volunteer engagement that is challenging,
­collaborative, and designed specifically for
each individual.
We have become a resource in our
­community. Our experiences have
­allowed us to provide technical ­assistance
to other agencies who seek skilled people.
Our processes for volunteer ­recruitment,
candidate application and selection,
­assessment of senior skills and ­experience,
and focused training materials are
­becoming a model. The Madison Senior
Center is viewed as a leader in the use of
self-directed teams for community and
senior center projects.
We appreciate the precious resource of
quality time given by richly ­experienced
senior adults. Our organization is
­selective about those we place. We
assess our needs and design service
­opportunities to advance our organization
and provide meaningful opportunities.
We also recognize that some people may
be best utilized outside of our program.
We encourage individuals to become
engaged in significant service both for
our benefit and for the benefit of our
­community.
To learn more about the power of older
­volunteers, please visit NCOA.org/
strengthening-community-organizations/
community-action-volunteering.
Christine Beatty is the Director of Madison
Senior Center, Madison, WI.
NISC: 40 Years of Supporting Senior Centers
NCOA’s National Institute of Senior Centers (NISC) is
a dynamic network of senior center professionals from
around the country. It was established in March 1970,
following a decade of cooperation between NCOA
and leaders in the senior center movement.
NISC works to strengthen our nation’s network of senior
centers by offering national standards and accreditation, advocacy, research, and learning opportunities
for senior center professionals. NISC programs include:
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•An online community where senior center
professionals share, learn, and problem-solve with
peers from around the country.
•Webinars and an annual conference with
the nation’s only dedicated educational track for
senior center professionals.
•Advocacy initiatives that urge funding and
support for our nation’s senior centers and policies
to improve the lives of older Americans.
•National standards and accreditation to
help centers assess their programs and map a
plan for improvement.
NATIONAL COUNCIL ON AGING • FALL 2010 • ISSUE 3
s
innovations
Bain Senior Center, Columbia, MD
OFFERING WORK BEYOND RETIREMENT
BY BOB PITMAN
One key question many senior center
­professionals face is how their center is
viewed in the community. Is the center
seen as a community resource—or as a
drain on community resources?
Civic engagement initiatives such as senior
employment, community service, lifelong
learning, and senior leadership and intergenerational programs are major ­building
blocks in the case for senior centers.
They constitute meaningful, ­purposeful
­activities that address what some call
­“vocational wellness.”
Employment programs for seniors are
increasingly important, given surveys
indicating that anywhere from 50% to 75%
of baby boomers plan to continue working
after retirement. With the recent erosion
of retirement investments, this percentage
is likely to increase further.
Surveys also clearly indicate that ­boomers
want to work differently than in their
pre-retirement occupations. Most want
flexibility—part-time or temporary jobs,
shorter term or contractual ­opportunities,
or seasonal work that allows them to
indulge other interests and address other
obligations and joys at this stage of life.
My senior center has been involved in
the employment business since 1960,
when four men started making ­children’s
­furniture out of a garage. The ­business,
­incorporated as Senior ­Products,
has evolved to include subcontract
­manufacturing services, the sale of highquality cotton wiping cloths, and direct
job placement and temporary ­employment
services matching retirees with local
­business and industry.
In May 2008, Senior Products formed
a partnership with Elwood Staffing, the
­second largest private staffing service in
Indiana. A Senior Products staff person
recruits senior applicants who are entered
into the Elwood Staffing databank. As
work opportunities arise, Elwood senior
staffers are placed on the job. Elwood
Staffing handles payroll; pays FICA, workman’s compensation, and unemployment
taxes; and underwrites the cost of staff
services provided by Senior Products.
While the Elwood-Senior Staffing
p­ artnership got off to a solid operational
start, the deep recession limited its financial
performance. But things are rebounding.
Total 2010 hours worked by ElwoodSenior Staffers has reached 13,435, a 166%
increase over this time last year. Even more
impressive is the fact that senior workers
have contributed $189,000 to our local
economy, and local business and industry
have benefitted from their reliability and
talents.
Senior centers are not places where older
adults come just to fill time. For many,
their local senior center is a connection to a
new direction in life.
To learn more about the value of mature
workers, please visit NCOA.org/enhancingeconomic-security/mature-workers.
Bob Pitman is Executive Director
of Senior Center Services of Bartholomew
County, Columbus, IN.
•Research that centers can use to promote their
work, gain funding, and market their services.
•Best practices and opportunities to partner with
national organizations to offer effective programs
and education to older adults.
•National promotion of senior centers through
an annual Senior Center Month celebration in
September.
CVS/pharmacy is the national sponsor of
NISC. To learn more about NISC, please
visit NCOA.org/NISC.
NATIONAL COUNCIL ON AGING • FALL 2010 • ISSUE 3
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SENIOR
CENTERS
TODAY
GIVING SENIORS A VOICE
PROMOTING ADVOCACY FROM THE GRASSROOTS UP
BY CHUCK RICKS
I
’m a senior center director in a small
town in West Virginia. On my desk is
the usual office stuff, such as a lamp, tape
dispenser, paperclip holder, telephone,
­calculator, and of course, lots of paperwork.
What I don’t have is a red hotline phone
connected to Washington or my state
capitol. And while it sure would be nice
to have a direct connection to those who
determine my funding or resources, I do
have the next best thing—my seniors.
The active adults (some don’t like to be
called “seniors”) at my center are perhaps
my greatest resource when it comes to
­advocacy. They know what they want
and what they don’t want, and they’re not
afraid to speak their minds.
Early this spring, our state senior ­center
­directors’ association spearheaded a
statewide signature drive to petition our
state legislature to increase the Medicaid
reimbursement rate. Our seniors rallied
to the cause. Within a week, we had over
2,700 signatures in a county with only
3,000 adults aged 60+. Our signatures
were added to others statewide and were
presented to the state legislature where the
proposal is under consideration.
Senior centers around the nation are the
focal point for vital services that enrich
lives and strengthen our communities. It
should be the goal of every senior center
to encourage active engagement by those
we serve.
Senior centers and the people they serve
can be very powerful voices when both
work together on issues important to
seniors. I am reminded of the quote from
Margaret Mead: “Never doubt that a small
group of thoughtful, committed citizens
can change the world. Indeed, it is the only
thing that ever has.”
Chuck Ricks is Executive Director of the
Roane County Committee on Aging,
Spencer, WV.
Our centers are important to our active
adults and their families. Our mission
is to provide services and activities that
promote healthy and active aging, and
advocacy by seniors is crucial to keeping
our centers strong.
Senior centers and the people they serve
can be very powerful voices when both work
together on issues important to seniors.
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NATIONAL COUNCIL ON AGING • FALL 2010 • ISSUE 3
To learn more about NCOA’s advocacy
­initiatives, please visit NCOA.org/publicpolicy.
innovations
The Value of Senior Centers: A Senior Perspective
BY HOWARD BERGER, SENIOR CENTER PARTICIPANT
Newton Senior Center, Newton, MA
As proud as I am of my 30-year
career as a newsman, I have ­derived
some of my greatest satisfaction while
serving on the Atlantic County, NJ,
­Senior Citizens Advisory Board. This
is largely ­because of the role my
fellow board members and I were
able to play in helping to grow what
is now a robust network of senior
centers throughout the county.
Back in the days before I was a
­senior, these centers primarily served
as nutrition sites, allowing seniors
with questionable diets to have
­access to a hot and healthy lunch
each day.
However, it wasn’t long before these
sites came to play multiple roles. They
evolved into local hubs that ­connect
seniors to ­social, ­economic,
and educational resources that
­enhance the ­quality of their lives.
Most importantly, they serve as a
vibrant social ­community, a place
for friendship, and a remedy for
loneliness or isolation.
Interestingly, most senior centers
take on a personality of their own
and reflect the culture of the local
­community. Here in Atlantic County,
one of our centers, operated by a
local Jewish agency, serves a largely
Jewish population and provides
­kosher meals.
Another site is located in an AsianAmerican neighborhood, and
­participants hail from China, Korea,
and Thailand. This center hosts a
number of non-English speakers and
offers English classes to help their
[Senior centers] evolved into local hubs that connect seniors to social,
economic, and educational resources that enhance the quality of their lives.
Most importantly, they serve as a vibrant social community, a place for
friendship, and a remedy for loneliness or isolation.
members communicate within their
own diverse community.
A senior center near my home has a
medical clinic directed by a board-certified geriatrician and provides invaluable care to seniors who might not
be able to afford it. On a recent visit,
I met a participant who just moved
from another state. She told me, “The
center has been a lifesaver. Before I
moved here, I spent my time looking at
the walls. Now this center gets me out
of the house with something to look
forward to—it’s wonderful.”
It’s a certainty that seniors throughout
the country enjoy similar experiences at their senior center—good
friends, good food—sometimes even
romance. Indeed, senior centers are
something to be proud of.
To learn more about senior centers,
please visit NCOA.org/strengtheningcommunity-organizations/seniorcenters.
NATIONAL COUNCIL ON AGING • FALL 2010 • ISSUE 3
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SENIOR
CENTERS
TODAY
SENIOR CENTER ACCREDITATION
HOW AND WHY?
BY DIANNE STONE
T
he road to greatness often requires
a map. For senior centers, NISC’s
national standards and accreditation serve
as that map—helping them assess their
current operations and plan for the future.
NISC developed the first set of senior
center standards in 1975. In March 2010,
the fourth edition, Building Excellence:
Senior Center Self-Assessment and National
Accreditation, was released. For the first
time, the standards are available online and
are accessible to all NISC members for no
additional fee.
Accreditation is a two-step process:
self-assessment and peer review. While
­accreditation is the coveted result, the real
value may be in the self-assessment.
Self-assessment brings together staff,
participants, volunteers, funders, and the
community to review a senior ­center’s
mission, administration, programs, and
facility. Bringing all of these groups
together offers an opportunity to enhance
the center’s image and establish its position
as a leader in positive aging.
Centers that have completed the
­process r­ eport benefits such as improved
­organization, a chance to showcase their
excellence, and the development of policies
and procedures and a strategic plan. Some
centers also report increased p­ articipation,
new funding opportunities, and new
­collaborative partners. The benefits of
­accreditation are as unique as the centers
that achieve it and are worth the work that
goes into the process.
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My involvement in accreditation began
in 2002. We brought together 45 people,
including staff, participants, and current
and potential allies in the community.
­Together, we learned a great deal about
our center and our real and perceived
­position in the community.
We identified our strengths and the areas
that we could improve and established an
action plan to make those improvements.
In 2003, we became the first center in
Connecticut to achieve national accreditation. We have since completed the process
again and are now accredited through
2013.
NATIONAL COUNCIL ON AGING • FALL 2010 • ISSUE 3
In some ways, the second time was even
more satisfying because we demonstrated
that our accreditation was not the result of
a one-time effort—but a steady commitment to excellence. It is that commitment
that ensures we will continue to meet the
needs of the older adults and community
we serve.
To learn more about senior center accreditation,
please visit NCOA.org/NISC.
Dianne Stone is Director of the Newington
Senior & Disabled Center, Newington, CT.
innovations
The Need of the Hour: Senior Center Research
BY MANOJ PARDASANI, ASSOCIATE PROFESSOR, FORDHAM UNIVERSITY
The world of senior centers is being
rocked by two critical trends today—
both of which make research in the
field more important than ever.
First, as the number of older adults
grows, their needs are ­becoming
­exponentially more diverse. Yet
public funding and support for
senior centers has not kept pace
with increasing operational costs.
In the current economy, there are
­competing demands on public funds
for basic social services. Senior
centers will not realize increased
funding unless they provide a logical
rationale for their continued support.
Second, there is an overwhelming
emphasis on evidence-based ­models
in the nonprofit arena. Funders
demand data on the impact of their
contributions. Among senior center
professionals, there is a wealth of
knowledge about the relevance and
impact of senior centers. But there
is a dearth of documentation of this
“practice wisdom.” It’s imperative
that we transmit this knowledge and
information to funders, legislators,
policy analysts, and the general
public in a succinct and systematic
manner.
The need of the hour is for scientific
research in and about senior c­ enters.
While there is some research on senior centers, we need our own professionals to initiate and ­engage in
research-informed practice. Some evidence has already been developed
about models of ­effective senior
centers, best operating ­practices,
innovative programs, ­marketing,
outreach, and ­fundraising.
But we need more information to
move our field forward. We urge
senior centers to utilize NISC,
graduate student interns (psychology,
sociology, gerontology, social work,
etc.), and strategic partnerships with
universities and community colleges
to generate research and contribute to the building of knowledge
about our unique contribution to our
­communities.
To see examples of senior center
research, please visit NCOA.org/
NISC.
NATIONAL COUNCIL ON AGING • FALL 2010 • ISSUE 3
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You can help us strengthen our
­nation’s network of senior ­centers.
Here’s how:
1. Join NCOA/NISC
NCOA’s National Institute of Senior Centers (NISC) is
a dynamic network of senior center ­professionals from
around the country. We believe that senior centers create opportunities for successful aging in our communities.
Learn how to join at NCOA.org/NISC.
How Can We Revitalize
Senior Centers?
NCOA has made revitalizing senior centers a priority
for next year’s reauthorization of the Older Americans
Act. Share your ideas with us!
To revitalize senior centers nk
for all older Americans, I thi
we should:
2. Get Accredited
NISC’s national standards and senior center ­accreditation
serve as a guide for all senior centers to improve their
­operations today—and position themselves for the future.
Learn how to become ­accredited at NCOA.org/NISC.
3. Connect on Crossroads
NCOA’s online community Crossroads has an ­active group
of senior center professionals who share best ­practices, ask
questions, and work to make their ­centers the best they can
be. Join the conversation on ­NCOACrossroads.org/SeniorCenters.
• Now post your idea online at AgingExchange.org
• Or mail it to us at OAA Ideas, NCOA, 1901 L St.
NW, 4th Floor, Washington, DC 20036
Top ideas will be shared with Congress and the
Administration and may become part of the public
policy changes NCOA lobbies for next year!