New York City Senior Centers: A Unique, Grassroots, Collaborative Advocacy Effort

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

“…Senior centres also need to develop strategies to respond to the changing needs of the older adult population. The grassroots advocacy and research project in New York by Pardasani and Sackman (2014) illustrates how research can be used by senior centres to effectively advocate for policy change and investment. As mentioned previously, there is generally less cohesion within the senior centre sector in Canada, and leadership is needed within the sector to encourage research, collaboration, and coalition-building so senior centres can continue to support the well-being of older adults now and into the future.…”

“…Two of the studies were quantitative, one qualitative, and one mixed-methods. Two of the studies broadly explored policy issues and advocacy through large cross-sectional surveys (Pardasani & Goldkind, 2012;Pardasani & Sackman, 2014). In a national sample of 376 senior centres, Pardasani and Goldkind (2012) found that 88.5 per cent of administrators reported engaging in policy advocacy, most commonly to advocate for funding.…”

“…In a national sample of 376 senior centres, Pardasani and Goldkind (2012) found that 88.5 per cent of administrators reported engaging in policy advocacy, most commonly to advocate for funding. A second study by Pardasani and Sackman (2014) was developed out of a grassroots need for advocacy and research, prompted by the New York City Department for the Aging's generation of a list of 50 senior centres for potential closure. A survey was conducted of senior centres in New York that provided data on numerous aspects of such centres.…”

“…The number of studies focusing on senior centre policy issues and advocacy is limited; however, as the study by Pardasani and Sackman (2014) illustrates, there is an urgent need for more data on senior centres, and these data can play an important role in influencing policy decisions and advocacy efforts.…”

“…For example, congregate meal programs are a cornerstone in American senior centres due to the emphasis placed on them by the Older American Act and funding rules that may require they be offered (e.g., all New York City Department for the Aging-funded senior centres offer lunch programs as a core activity). In New York, Pardasani and Sackman (2014) reported that 76.5 per cent of senior centres (from a sample of 219) offer lunch programs, and in Texas, Turner (2004) surveyed a sample of participants from 27 senior centres and found that 91 per cent used meal programs weekly.…”