May 2014 - Parks & Recreation - 63

Making Room for Seniors
Park and recreation agencies should keep an eye on demographics
data for America's growing population of seniors
By Travis Smith, Ph.D.

eniors are going to take over your agency. Well, not quite - but you're
going to see more of them in your parks and facilities.
The 39.6 million seniors (those over age 65) in the United States currently comprise 12.9 percent of the population. By 2030, this number will swell
to 72.1 million and more than 20 percent of the population - more than double the number of seniors in the U.S. in the year 2000. In fact, during the next
16 years, the proportion of seniors in the U.S. will surpass the number of kids
under the age of 13. As discussed in an article by Dr. John Crompton in the December 2013 issue of Parks & Recreation Magazine (www.parksandrecreation.
org/2013/December/Are-Your-Seniors-Moving-to-Center-Stage), focusing on
this senior demographic will impact the viability of park and recreation agencies in the near future, and forward-thinking agencies are already adjusting operations to better serve seniors.
Analysis of the data in PRORAGIS
shows that the relationship between
park and recreation agencies and seniors is already very strong. For each
year between 2011 and 2013, 70 percent or more of agencies participating

in PRORAGIS offer programs targeted
at seniors. This indicates that for many
seniors, their local park and recreation
agency represents part of their day-today existence - whether to socialize,
learn or engage in physical activity.

However, for some seniors, the relationship with their park and recreation agency is even more important. PRORAGIS
tells us that for the same period, more
than 30 percent of these agencies offered programs that fed seniors in their
communities, in some cases serving
more than 25,000 meals annually.
Unfortunately, examination of population and economic projections indicate that efforts to fight senior hunger will be even more necessary in the
coming years. New methods to examine poverty in seniors indicate that in
at least 12 states the actual number of
seniors living in poverty is more than
twice previous estimates, with all 50
states underestimating senior poverty to
some degree. Additionally, the disparity
between the wealthiest and poorest seniors is growing rapidly. So while some
seniors represent potential new revenue
for park and recreation agencies due to
their affluence, an increasing number of
the poorest seniors will look to park and
recreation agencies to facilitate necessary services due to their poverty.
What does this mean for your
agency and your community? If you
already support or provide a senior
feeding program through your agency,
it's likely that your program may need
to expand in the next 15 years. And,
if your current offerings don't include
programs that support seniors living in
poverty, it's an area your agency may
be called upon to address as the number of those in need increases.
Travis Smith, Ph.D., is NRPA's Director of
Research (tsmith@nrpa.org).

W W W. N R PA . O R G | M AY 2 0 1 4 |

Parks & Recreation

May 2014 - Parks & Recreation

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of May 2014 - Parks & Recreation