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a series of community dialogues, surveys, and assessments on redesigning
" senior centers " throughout the county.
The agency now works to provide additional low-stress, easy access introductions to programs and activities for those
who may be new or returning to physical
activity or may have difficulty leaving their
comfort zone. The city of Egan is working
to become even more inclusive to attract
all older adults-providing new types of
fitness programming for younger seniors.
Egan relies on a senior volunteer board
to generate ideas for programs and events
and uses this as a mechanism for both inspiration and continuous quality improvement. The agency has reached out to many
local healthcare providers and asked
them to consider " prescribing " exercise
to their patients by giving the patient information packets about park facilities and
programs. Leveraging additional local resources allows the city to bring in programming such as fitness, art, and other
recreation activities offered through the
County Senior Services, parks and recreation departments in surrounding communities, and senior living facilities.
Amy Roell, outdoor education director
for the Hamilton County Park District, describes that they too are challenged by
simply defi ning a " senior " program. At
50, a lot of people do not consider themselves " seniors " and are leery of attending a program labeled " senior " for fear
that they will not truly fit in. In response,
the park district has developed a line
of programs just for seniors called the
" Great Parks Club. " Marketing these
services to everyone 50 and older helps

lessen any reticence to identify with a program labeled " senior " and the programs
includes a variety of activities and educational opportunities such as bus tours
and " lunch and learns " aimed at providing educational and fun experiences.
Health education targeted at these users
includes everything from stroke prevention, preventing falls, hearing tests, knowing your numbers (BMI), choosing the
right athletic shoe, exercise variations
like band stretching, frugal fitness, foot
problems, diet and exercise, and how to
stay cool and hydrated in the summer. In
addition the park district offers programs
that they have found are of specific interest to the community including courses
on local history, environmental education,
safety in the parks with a ranger, and a
variety of other topics.
Roell suggests that park and recreation
agencies looking to best serve their diverse senior community start by stepping
out and collaborating with partners and
organizations that may not have been involved in the past, such as insurance
companies and local hospitals. In addition, she advises recreation professionals
to consistently assess the needs of their
current users and to react to their ideas
and feedback about how to best engage
the community.
In addition to the challenges presented
by serving a growing population of seniors
that may define themselves very differently from one another, park and recreation
agencies report that transportation and
limited income are issues in serving their
aging patrons. In Hamilton County, the
park district has enlisted volunteers who

are able to occasionally offer free transportation or car pooling to centers. Egan
Parks and Recreation offers more evening programs in order to accommodate
working boomers/seniors and also offers
programming in more locations. Johnson
County has also worked to find satellite locations through the county so patrons do
not have to travel so far to attend classes.
As seniors often live on limited, fixed
incomes, affordability is a common challenge. All agencies noted that they rely on
leveraging volunteers and community resources to deliver maximum services and
programs at a minimal cost. In Johnson
County, they are able to offer diverse programming and services while still keeping prices at a point that 50-plus patrons
can afford by collaborating with numerous
community partners. Local colleges, universities, and churches provide programming space for free or for minimal rent
and joint programming is supplemented
through partnerships with local libraries,
AARP, and other city park and recreation
agencies. The agency also works with the
medical community to bring various health
services into the centers throughout the
year, such as a podiatrist, and offers opportunities for blood pressure checks and
hearing tests. By collaborating and working with various community partners,
agencies are able to reach more patrons
and help keep prices to a minimum.
In a nation with a growing senior population, often with limited financial resources, park and recreation agencies
are positioned to continue playing a crucial role in community health.
NRPA supports communities that are
implementing successful practices to
promote health and wellness and has recently joined the National Institute on Aging in " Go4Life, " a new national exercise
and physical activity campaign for people
age 50+. To receive exercises, success
stories, and free materials, visit Go4Life's
interactive website: www.nia.nih.gov/Go4Life. Read more about the partnership at
http://tinyurl.com/3cexncf.
ERIka tERL is NRPA Senior Program

Manager.

Parks & Recreation J A N U A R Y

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January 2012 - Parks & Recreation

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