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Senior Activity Centers here does one go when they want to participate in an exercise or dance class, have a meal with friends, learn a foreign language, hear about historical events, listen to a live musical performance, take exciting trips, volunteer, or work on their fine arts and crafting skills, all in one place? To your local senior center, of course! You can do all that and more at all seven of Anne Arundel County’s Senior Activity Centers. Today’s senior centers are multi-dimensional, active, dynamic and progressive; a community focal point. According to the National Council on Aging (NCOA), there are over 11,000 senior centers serving over a million older adults each year in the United States. Most centers offer services and programs such as meal and nutrition programs; health and fitness classes; volunteer opportunities; social and recreational activities; lifelong learning programs; options for travel; participation in the arts; transportation; intergenerational activities; information and assistance and a range of other social services for older adults. Senior center programs are as diverse as the members they serve. There is so much to do at your local senior center that you could spend all day, every day there and still not do it all. The first senior centers were established to combat social isolation among older adults by bringing people together to share a meal. While that is still a huge benefit of senior centers, they have so much more to offer! Senior centers are continually evolving to meet the changing needs of the population they serve. Every generation that enters older adulthood brings new challenges and exciting opportunities for senior centers to grow and innovate. The advent of computers? Take an introductory computer class at your local senior center. New to using a smartphone? Your senior center will offer a class on how to text and what emojis are. What’s the latest craze in exercise classes? Try Zumba, belly dancing or yoga at the senior center. A global pandemic? Not to worry, we offer virtual classes and programs online! 38
ANNAPOLIS Wiley H. Bates Heritage Park, 119 South Villa Avenue, Annapolis, MD 21401; 410-222-1818; Fax 410-222-1216; annapoliscenter@ aacounty.org ARNOLD 44 Church Road, Arnold, MD 21012; 410-222-1922; Fax 410222-1924; arnoldcenter@aacounty.org BROOKLYN PARK 202 Hammonds Lane, Baltimore, MD 21225; 410-222-6847; Fax 410222-6846; bpcenter@ aacounty.org O’MALLEY 1275 Odenton Road, Odenton, MD 21113; 410-222-6227; Fax 410-222-6229; omalleycenter@aacounty. org O’Malley Annex, 1270 Odenton Road, Odenton, MD 21113; 10-222-0140 PASADENA 4103 Mountain Road, Pasadena, MD 21122; 410-222-0030; Fax 410222-0032; pasadenacenter@aacounty.org PASCAL 125 Dorsey Road, Glen Burnie, MD 21061; 410222-6680; Fax 410-2226685; pascalcenter@ aacounty.org SOUTH COUNTY 27 Stepney Lane, Edgewater, MD 21037; 410-222-1927; Fax 410222-1989; southcenter@aacounty.org
Senior centers are fun places to go to with lots of programs and activities to participate in, but did you know that people who attend senior centers are healthier, have greater life satisfaction and more social interaction than those who don’t attend centers? As stated by the NCOA, research shows that older adults who participate in senior center programs can learn to manage or delay the onset of chronic disease and remain living and thriving in their communities longer. The health and wellness programs and screenings and fitness classes offered at the center contribute to that. Surveys have shown that a significant number of older adults who participate in activities at a senior center state that their quality of life has improved since they joined the center. They enjoy the friendly people, the atmosphere and being with their peers, and the activities and programs are engaging and fun. NCOA also states that older adults who participate in senior center programs experience measurable improvements in the seven dimensions of wellness: physical, social, spiritual, emotional, intellectual, environmental and economic well-being. The Anne Arundel County Department of Aging and Disabilities operates senior activity centers throughout the county. Locations include centers in Arnold, Annapolis, Brooklyn Park, Pasadena, O’Malley Senior Center in Odenton, Pascal Senior Center in Glen Burnie and the South County Senior Center in Edgewater. Membership at the centers is free and gives you access to activities at all of the county’s senior activity centers. Many of the programs and activities offered at the centers are free, but we also partner with the Anne Arundel Community College to offer continuing education classes for a moderate fee. Center members may take part in classes encompassing multiple subject areas, including: exercise, dance, fine arts, crafts, history, foreign languages, current events, music and use of technology. Special interest groups and clubs are another popular choice of activity at the centers; for instance, knitting and crocheting, quilting, genealogy, crafts, ceramics, technology use and many more are offered at many of the centers. Workshops and seminars on specific topics of interest are also available at the centers. Community organizations www.aacounty.org/aging
