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

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  06 September 2018

Laura Kadowaki  and
Atiya Mahmood
Laura Kadowaki*
Affiliation:
Department of Gerontology, Simon Fraser University
Atiya Mahmood
Affiliation:
Department of Gerontology, Simon Fraser University
*
*La correspondance et les demandes de tirés-à-part doivent être adressées à : / Correspondence and requests for offprints should be sent to: Laura Kadowaki, Ph.D. Student Department of Gerontology Simon Fraser University #2800-515 West Hastings St. Vancouver, BC V6B 5K3 <ltk1@sfu.ca>
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Abstract

Senior centres have been identified as a “focal point” for delivering services to the rapidly growing older adult populations in Canada and the United States. Despite this important role, academic research studying senior centres has been limited. This scoping review identified English-language empirical research studies focusing on senior centres that were published in an academic journal in 2000 or later. A total of 58 studies were identified (n = 51 American and n = 7 Canadian). The majority of the articles focused on themes related to the participation of individuals at senior centres; a smaller number focused on themes related to the senior centre environment. Based on the findings, it is suggested that future research focus on benefits of senior centre programming, with specific focus on needs of baby boomers; key factors related to funding, space, and staffing; and the characteristics and role of senior centres in the Canadian context.

Résumé

Les centres pour personnes âgées ont été identifiés comme des points focaux pour la prestation de services pour la population vieillissante, qui est en forte croissance au Canada et aux États-Unis. Malgré ce rôle important des centres pour personnes âgées, peu de recherches leur ont été consacrées. Cet examen de portée a ciblé les études empiriques en langue anglaise portant sur les centres pour personnes âgées qui ont été publiées dans des revues scientifiques depuis 2000. Un total de 58 études ont été repérées (n = 51 pour les études américaines, n = 7 pour les études canadiennes). La majorité de ces articles était centrée sur des thèmes liés à la participation d’individus dans les centres pour personnes âgées, et quelques études seulement traitaient du milieu associé aux centres pour personnes âgées. Ces résultats suggèrent que les recherches futures devraient cibler les avantages de la programmation des centres pour personnes âgées, avec une attention particulière sur les besoins des baby-boomers, sur les facteurs clés liés au financement, aux espaces et au personnel, ainsi que sur les caractéristiques et les rôles des centres pour personnes âgées dans le contexte canadien.

Keywords

agingsenior centresliterature reviewolder adultsvieillissementcentres pour personnes âgéesrevue de la littératurepersonnes âgées
Type
Article
Information
Canadian Journal on Aging / La Revue canadienne du vieillissement , Volume 37 , Issue 4 , December 2018 , pp. 420 - 441
Copyright
Copyright © Canadian Association on Gerontology 2018 

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