Older Adult Community Centers: Building Powerful Connections
The Next Part of Life
At work, people talk to each other, so connections form easily. But when people retire, those daily interactions are lost. For many older adults, retirement comes with different emotions. What often starts as excitement can turn to sadness, boredom, or loneliness. Brown adds, “If we’re not careful, that loneliness starts to feel heavy, like depression and its friend anxiety. We must get out and figure out what’s the next part of life.”
The West Oak Lane Older Adult Center helps people make new connections. “When people know that someone else cares, that someone literally has eyes on [them], they feel that [they are] going to be okay because [they are] interacting with another human. That in and of itself wakes up their happy, it wakes up their connection to others,” Brown says.
A Second Home
David Powell of Wyncote says the center gives him an opportunity to relax. “I am a Vietnam veteran, and I suffer from post‑traumatic stress,” he says. “So, it really helped my mental health a lot. You know, just being here around good people, happy people.”
Lafayette Daily, 91, of North Philadelphia agrees. “This is my second home. I just like the atmosphere. I like the folks here. It’s just a nice place to be.” He’s been coming to the center since 1997 and enjoys playing pool, cards, and checkers. “Coming to the senior center makes my day. Day in and day out. I just wish it was [open] more than five days [a week].”
Brown experienced first-hand the powerful difference the center can make on someone’s life.
“My mother was a beautician who had depression since childhood,” Brown says. “After a while, she stopped taking her medicine and bottomed out. I was able to bring her here and she came back around, got involved with chair exercise, and slowly but surely, she got her confidence back to drive. She went on a picnic, we played volleyball, and she sat at the card tables. After that, she would come on Mondays for lunch. So, when I say, ‘this place saves lives’, I know.”
Not Just Fun and Games
Older adult community centers are a lifeline for connection and support, with fun activities that can improve the physical, mental, and social well-being of older adults. Many centers also offer a wide range of services like meal programs, transportation assistance, public benefits counseling, and volunteer opportunities. Older adults can get more information about community centers in their area and the vital services they provide by checking out their state’s Department of Aging website.
For more information about mental health, self-care strategies, and where to find help, visit ibx.com/knowyourmind.
