Your Local Area Agency on Aging: Senior Centers
| Living as an Older Adult in PA
This article is part of an ongoing series for older adults in Pennsylvania, designed to help older adults and caregivers access and understand the many resources, support services, and community connections your local Area Agency on Aging can provide.
To find your local AAA, visit: https://p4a.org/aaas/.
For Lucy Thatcher, an 83-year-old in Delaware County, walking into Surrey Services for Seniors in Broomall feels like stepping into an episode of Cheers. “You walk in, and everyone knows your name,” Lucy says. “It’s the most wonderful feeling in the world.”
For years, Lucy was the primary caregiver for her grandson, but when he grew older and no longer needed her daily care, she felt lost. She began attending the senior center, a local resource supported by her Area Agency on Aging, three times a week. Now she leads a volunteer class on spiritual inspiration, checks in on others to make sure they’re doing okay, and stays active and independent in the Broomall home where she raised four children. “I have more friends now than I’ve ever had in my life,” Lucy shares.
Lucy’s story is playing out in communities across Pennsylvania, where senior centers are neighborhood anchors. They are places where older adults walk through the door as strangers and leave as friends. They are places older adults can go to share a hot meal, take a fitness class, learn something new, or simply have somewhere to be. Senior centers provide older Pennsylvanians with the structure, connection, and support to keep living life on their own terms.
A Place That Saves Hearts
After losing his mother, Jim found grief and loneliness pulling him inward. A tip from someone in his community led him to Active Aging, Inc. in Crawford County. He was nervous walking in, until he spotted the pool table.
That first game turned into a regular visit, and a regular visit turned into real friendship. He was welcomed in by Krista, the executive director, and many others who made him feel like he’d always belonged. Today, Jim comes in twice a week for lunch and to socialize. “I was lost,” he says. “That place saved my heart.”
A Second Chance at Love
Evelyn, 83, resisted the idea at first. “Everyone told me I had to go to my local AAA,” she recalls, “and I told them I’m not that old!” Carl, 88, was navigating his own grief after losing his wife to Alzheimer’s. His daughter brought him to Active Aging, Inc. in Meadville, hoping to help him reconnect with life.
A Valentine’s Day dinner at the senior center, a first date at Cracker Barrel, and eventually a wedding all followed. Since then, they began taking painting classes together, attending center dinners, and even dressing up as Johnny and June Carter Cash for Halloween. “We are blessed to have a second person to fall in love with,” Evelyn says.
How Senior Centers Support You
These stories aren’t outliers. Across Pennsylvania, senior centers, supported by 52 AAAs covering all 67 counties, offer a wide range of services that help older adults stay connected and independent:
- Nutritious Meals: Hot, balanced meals served in a social setting, combating both hunger and isolation
- Health and Wellness Programs: An array of offerings from fitness classes to health screenings to help older adults stay active and healthy
- Social Connection: Activities, games, and events that build friendships and fight loneliness
- Educational Opportunities: Classes and workshops that encourage lifelong learning
- Transportation Services: Helping older adults maintain independence and access to services
- Volunteer Opportunities: Meaningful ways for older adults to give back and stay engaged
- Support Services: Information, assistance, and connections to additional resources
Connect With Your Local AAA
If you or an older adult you know could benefit from the programs and services a senior center offers, your local AAA is ready to help. They can connect you with the senior center nearest you and walk you through the resources available, from meals and wellness programs to transportation and social activities.
Visit p4a.org/aaas to find your local Area Agency on Aging and learn more about the services available in your community.