Senior Center Service Utilization: Do Social Ties Affect Participation Patterns?

Purpose A better understanding of service utilization patterns at senior service centers can improve program development and constituent usage Theory This research examines whether participation in senior center activities is a function of senior socialization that reinforces and supports existing social ties by selecting specific activities in senior centers. Methods A total of 924 participants of senior centers in a municipality in the Southwest were surveyed. Results We find that having closer friends influences participation in certain senior center services. We also find that gender, race, ethnicity, and income also explain different usage rates beyond age. Conclusion Opportunities to foster social interaction to grow and reduce barriers to participation and market to a broader range of current and potential participants are discussed.

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Differences in white-nonwhite community mental health center service utilization patterns

Evaluation and Program Planning ◽

10.1016/0149-7189(78)90007-1 ◽

1978 ◽

Vol 1 (1) ◽

pp. 51-63 ◽

Cited By ~ 17

Author(s):

Ann B. Goodman ◽

Carole Siegel

Keyword(s):

Mental Health ◽

Community Mental Health ◽

Health Center ◽

Service Utilization ◽

Community Mental Health Center ◽

Mental Health Center ◽

Utilization Patterns ◽

Center Service

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Service Utilization Patterns among Homeless Youth: Assessment of Need, Access and Barriers to Use

PsycEXTRA Dataset ◽

10.1037/e628592012-064 ◽

2009 ◽

Author(s):

Darcey Roach

Keyword(s):

Service Utilization ◽

Homeless Youth ◽

Utilization Patterns ◽

Barriers To Use ◽

Assessment Of Need

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Enhancing Behavioral Health Competencies for Senior Center Staff: Lessons Learned From Workforce Training Efforts

Innovation in Aging ◽

10.1093/geroni/igaa057.001 ◽

2020 ◽

Vol 4 (Supplement_1) ◽

pp. 1-1

Author(s):

Bronwyn Keefe ◽

Jennifer Tripken

Keyword(s):

Mental Health ◽

Older Adults ◽

Behavioral Health ◽

Lessons Learned ◽

Organizational Level ◽

Senior Center ◽

Senior Centers ◽

Knowledge And Skills ◽

Center Staff ◽

The Impact

Abstract Increases in the numbers of older adults with mental health and substance use concerns compel us to identify best practices in training to address these issues. Senior Centers are an ideal location for behavioral health education programs as they are the go-to place for many older adults. This session will describe a program funded by The Retirement Research Foundation and offered in collaboration with Center for Aging and Disability Education and Research at Boston University and NCOA to increase senior center staff knowledge and skills. Approximately 250 senior center staff in Illinois, Florida, and Wisconsin completed an online certificate in Behavioral Health and Aging. Results show that 100% of respondents felt that the training was useful for their job; 93% felt that they will be a more effective worker as a result of the training; and 97% felt that the information they learned in the training will make a difference with the people they serve. We held key informant interviews to assess the impact of training and participants stated that their knowledge, skills, and behaviors were influenced by the program. At the organizational level, leaders reported new programming related to behavioral health and revised practices and protocols. This presentation will cover: (1) the extent to which training participants mastered the competencies needed for effective practice; (2) knowledge and skills gained from the training program; (3) Senior Centers’ capacity to identify and refer older adults to mental health services; and (4) organizational changes related to behavioral health programming with older adults.

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WHY DON’T OLDER ADULTS USE SENIOR CENTERS? EVIDENCE FROM A SAMPLE OF MASSACHUSETTS ADULTS AGE 50 AND OLDER

Innovation in Aging ◽

10.1093/geroni/igz038.1845 ◽

2019 ◽

Vol 3 (Supplement_1) ◽

pp. S498-S498

Author(s):

Ceara Somerville ◽

Nidya Velasco Roldan ◽

Cindy N Bui ◽

Caitlin E Coyle

Keyword(s):

Older Adults ◽

Age Groups ◽

Community Dwelling ◽

Senior Center ◽

Community Resource ◽

Senior Centers ◽

Data Set ◽

Younger Age ◽

And Gender ◽

Vast Range

Abstract Senior centers are an integral community resource, providing programs and services intended to meet the vast range of needs and interests of older adults. There is a growing literature describing senior center participants and benefits to participation, but little is known about those who choose not to participate at a local senior center. This presentation uniquely characterizes non-users of senior centers, based on a sample of community-dwelling adults aged 50+ from seven communities in Massachusetts (N = 9,462). To date, this is the largest data set that describes senior center usage. Most of the sample were women (60%) and in the 60-69 age group (36%). More than three quarters of the sample do not use the local senior center (77%). The most common reasons for non-usage were lack of interest (27%) and not feeling old enough (26%). There are significant differences in reasons of non-usage among age groups and gender (p < .001). Younger age groups’ (50-69) most popular reasons for non-usage were not feeling old enough, not having time, inconvenient senior center hours, and not knowing what is offered. In contrast, older age groups (80+) more frequently reported having no interest or using programs elsewhere. Men were more likely to report not being interested and not being familiar with what is offered. Women were more likely to report not having time, inconvenient hours of programming, and using programs elsewhere. Based on results from this study, this presentation will outline implications for the future of senior centers and their programming.

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Health service utilization patterns of primary care patients with osteoarthritis

BMC Health Services Research ◽

10.1186/1472-6963-7-169 ◽

2007 ◽

Vol 7 (1) ◽

Cited By ~ 27

Author(s):

Thomas Rosemann ◽

Stefanie Joos ◽

Joachim Szecsenyi ◽

Gunter Laux ◽

Michel Wensing

Keyword(s):

Primary Care ◽

Health Service ◽

Service Utilization ◽

Health Service Utilization ◽

Primary Care Patients ◽

Utilization Patterns

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SOCIAL INTERACTION AND RELATIONSHIPS OF INDIVIDUALS IN THE COMPOSITION OF TECHNOLOGY

Bulletin of Taras Shevchenko National University of Kyiv Philosophy ◽

10.17721/2523-4064.2018/3-3/12 ◽

2018 ◽

pp. 15-18

Author(s):

I. Muratova

Keyword(s):

Social Interaction ◽

Social Interactions ◽

Social Practice ◽

Technological Progress ◽

Social Ties ◽

Social Philosophy ◽

Universal Principle ◽

Common Goal ◽

Scientific Methods ◽

Theoretical Foundations

The purpose of the article is to reveal technology as a human activity in which people engage in such interaction with each other and build such relationships and social ties that are mediated by technical means and ensures success in the process of realizing a common goal. To overcome the limitations of narrowly specialized ideas about technology, the research is based on the scientific methods and theoretical principles of social philosophy. This approach allows us to understand technology as a universal principle of social practice, not just production. The need for a philosophical reflection of the immanent connection that exists between technology and sociality is proved by the author. Therefore, the author offers understanding of technology as unity of scientific and technical means and forms of social interactions in subjective practice and objectification human intentions and goals. The results of such research contribute to the establishment of the scientific and theoretical foundations of the practice of management of innovations and technologies with the purpose of conscious humanistic direction of scientific and technological progress.

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Turismo, viajes y lazos sociales: el caso de los turistas VFA en la ciudad de Buenos Aires

PASOS Revista de Turismo y Patrimonio Cultural ◽

10.25145/j.pasos.2021.19.011 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 19 (1) ◽

pp. 177-188

Author(s):

Bárbara Catalano ◽

Keyword(s):

Social Interaction ◽

Social Integration ◽

Buenos Aires ◽

Social Ties ◽

Structured Interviews ◽

Visiting Friends And Relatives ◽

Migratory Movements ◽

The City

This paper addresses the sector of VFR tourism: visiting friends and relatives (VFR). The hypoth‑ esis is that tourism based on social ties facilitates integration in terms of social interaction and social iden‑ tification in the destination, in this case the city of Buenos Aires. The concept itself of VFR tourism is dealt with together with a description and attempted characterisation of the exact movement of this type of tour‑ ism over the last few years as a result of migratory movements with emphasis on social ties and practices. The emphasis is on the degree of social integration and identification occurring in this type of tourism. The methodology used is qualitative, based on semi‑structured interviews of key agents and is complemented with statistics designed to give fuller access to the comprehension of the context.

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