Encyclopedia of Gerontology and Population Aging

Living Edition
| Editors: Danan Gu, Matthew E. Dupre

Senior Centers

  • Laura KadowakiEmail author
  • Atiya Mahmood
Living reference work entry
First Online:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-69892-2_755-1
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Synonyms

Older adult centers; Senior activity centers

Definition

The National Institute of Senior Centers has stated “A senior center is a community focal point on aging where older adults come together for services and activities that reflect their experience and skills, respond to their diverse needs and interests, enhance their dignity, support their independence, and encourage their involvement in and with the center and the community” (Wagner 1995, p. 4). While there is no single consensus definition of what a senior center is, senior centers are commonly defined in the literature as “focal points” for providing a range of community programs and health and social activity focused services to older adults (e.g., Krout 1989; Pardasani 2004a; Pardasani et al. 2009). Over time, several common defining elements of senior centers have emerged, including that they: (a) provide a designated physical space where older adults can gather, (b) serve as a focal point for offering a range of...

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References

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Copyright information

© Springer Nature Switzerland AG 2020

Authors and Affiliations

  1. 1.Department of GerontologySimon Fraser UniversityVancouverCanada

Section editors and affiliations

  • Debbie Faulkner
    • 1
  1. 1.Centre for Housing, Urban and Regional Planning, School of Social SciencesThe University of AdelaideAdelaideAustralia