by Adriana Carr, MPA
Senior Center Director
Arlington County Department of Parks & Recreation
Finding Inspiration
“Age is an extraordinary process where you become the
person you always should have been” –
David Bowie
As professionals in the fields of recreation, aging and
community building our efforts serve a vast range of older adults. Our jobs are driven by our mission to
encourage older adults to remain active and social. Fostering an environment
where our customers can continually find their potential and grow into their
visions of themselves takes inspiration, work and a multi-faceted approach to
professional development.
Committing to find inspiration and stay focused on our
mission empowers us as professional and subsequently empowers the people with
whom we work. There are already a
variety of tools available to us. For
example, NRPA's January edition of Parks&Recreation focuses on active aging. One
article, Older
Adults: Exploring their changing demographics and health outlook points to
increasing numbers of older adults by M. Jeanne Keller (pp37-39), is a
really good read for the recreation professional who works with older adults. This demographic is expected to increase their involvement in “municipal recreation, fitness and wellness programs" when they retire.
For the proactive recreation professional the following
four programming models presented in this article provide recommendations to
meet this diverse and growing demand. A
brief synopsis follows:
Flourish over a cup of coffee
For the younger older adult, implementing a program
based on the café
model may be the way to boost participant engagement. Expanding on the coffee house concept this model provides opportunities for learning
and socializing. According to Keller,
this kind of program can increase participation by 57%. A typical visit would start with a cup of
coffee and then proceed on to an educational seminar or social event. Some café
based programs offer exercise classes as well.
Virtual Senior Programs
Based on the technology model, this approach looks to
fill the access gap. Whether for health,
economic or transportation reasons not all older adults have the opportunities
to reap the benefits that come from being involved in a senior recreation
program. Whether it involves
establishing a virtual
senior center, groups conversations via telephone or computer classes,
technology then becomes a medium that helps older adults stay connected to
their community.
A Lifetime of Learning
While some may think that learning stops at college,
there are an increasing number of retirees who continue to flourish by
broadening their horizons through continuous learning. That could mean taking courses in foreign
languages, applying for a professional certification, going back for additional
formal education or pursuing a new hobby.
The research behind lifelong learning model is based on the idea that
the brain
has a continuous ability to learn. This improves a person’s well-being, self-perception
and ability to adapt to change.
Promoting the Dimensions of Wellness
In general, these are programs that address the various
facets of humans. Depending on the
source, there are either six or seven dimensions
of wellness. The goal is to create innovative
programs based on active aging research. Partnering with local universities, hospitals,
local and state governments are several ways to present evidence based programs
that benefit your participants and their changing needs. Some examples include fall prevention
programs, fraud awareness, art appreciation and college level courses.
Which model would work with your customers? Please let
us know in the comments below.
Thanks.
