Snapshot of Delaware Senior Centers: COVID-19 Restrictions, Challenges and Successes
Date
2022-12-22
Journal Title
Journal ISSN
Volume Title
Publisher
Activities, Adaptation and Aging
Abstract
Senior centers provide recreational and social opportunities to millions of older adults. As a result of COVID-19, many senior center directors were forced to adapt and provide new physical distancing opportunities for their members quickly. The study aimed to identify restrictions, challenges, and successes that Delaware senior center administrators faced during the COVID-19 pandemic. Interviews with 15 senior center administrators revealed that many sites relied upon state or federal guidelines for their policies while significantly reducing their specific class and activity offerings. These senior center administrators indicated a lack of guidance on openings, financial hardships, and lack of volunteers and employees as challenges they faced. Policies and frameworks should be developed to assist these organizations when adapting to future disasters.
Description
This is an Accepted Manuscript of an article published by Taylor & Francis in Activities, Adaptation and Aging on 12/22/2022, available at: http://www.tandfonline.com/10.1080/01924788.2022.2160687. This article will be embargoed until 12/22/2023.
Keywords
senior centers, COVID-19, administration
Citation
Elizabeth Orsega-Smith, Alana Beiman & Brianna Wolfle (2022) Snapshot of Delaware Senior Centers: COVID-19 Restrictions, Challenges and Successes, Activities, Adaptation & Aging, DOI: 10.1080/01924788.2022.2160687