January 2016 - Parks & Recreation - 54

VIRTUAL SENIOR CENTERS

Older adults are often described
by subpopulations: young old (65-74
years); old (74-84 years); and oldest
old (85 years and over). The fastest
growing segment of the total population is the oldest old - those 85 years
and older. While senior centers are
responding with new facilities and
programs to meet the diverse, dynamic lifestyle and activity needs of older
adults, flexibility is another key area
that will be important to serving this
growing population. One possible
way to offer flexibility to older adults
is through virtual senior centers.
Connected Programming
Virtual senior centers make it possible for older adults to take part in
classes, meet with renowned artists
in residence, interact with peers on
current events, chat with senior center friends, learn new facts from respected healthcare providers, or discuss a bond issue for a new senior
center with the city mayor while at
the same time traveling to another
country, staying home to prepare for
a visit from grandchildren, or rehabil-

52 Parks & Recreation

itating after a knee replacement. The
flexibility of this option, which could
be called a senior center distance program or, more appropriately, a senior
center connected program, allows
older individuals who are not able to
be physically present but want to engage in meaningful services and programs provided by senior centers to

Virtual Benefits
Virtual senior centers may offer diverse programs and services, including music, painting, woodworking,
armchair yoga, tai chi, educational
programs, exercise, cooking and special events. They can also provide services like medication management,
health and wellness checkups, social

NCOA research shows that participation in virtual
senior centers benefits older individuals in much the
same way as being present.
continue to do so. The programs and
services of virtual senior centers may
be delivered either asynchronously or
synchronously.
An asynchronous delivery enables
communication and collaboration
over a period of time through a " different time-different place " mode:
emailing, videotaping programs, creating a media library for access any
time, hosting blogs and streaming
audio and video without the opportunity to interact are just a few examples of an asynchronous delivery of
programs and services. On the other
hand, a synchronous delivery enables
real-time communication and collaboration in a " same time-different
place " mode: videoconferencing,
chat rooms and instant messaging for
example. Most often, virtual senior
centers provide Internet accessibility from computer platforms, which
makes access easier and more available to many. Today, the Internet and
compressed video have allowed distance learning to occur in real time
and to connect people. Live video
exchange is the most popular and
fastest-growing education delivery
sharing mode in the United States.

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services connections such as registering for Medicare or help with utility
costs, and religious services. NCOA
research shows that participation in
virtual senior centers benefits older
individuals in much the same way as
being present. Also, older adults who
engage and stay active with technology have higher self-esteem and greater
social interactions over their lifespans.
Let's look at a few older participants
who engage in virtual senior centers
and the benefits they receive.
Sixty-nine-year-old Maria regularly socializes with friends and stays
active in numerous programs and
events at her nearby park and recreation center. After a shoulder injury,
she was not able to drive her car for six
months. She lost her social network
and meaningful activities, became
depressed and experienced unhealthy
weight gain. Maria and her physician
call the virtual senior center her lifesaver. She interacts with her friends,
keeps up with current events, participates in healthy cooking classes and
increases her physical therapy exercises by partaking in multiple physical activity classes via her computer
screen each week, instead of sitting
idly in front of her television.

January 2016 - Parks & Recreation

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