FOOTNOTES - Better Living Health

Bill Krever and Lisa Mistelbacher of Better Living present the BuildingBridges report at the National Council on Aging in Chicago in March 2010.Boomers will Reshape the Future of Senior CentresA recent report released on senior centres in Ontariosuggests that “Boomers” will drastically reshapecentres like E. P. Taylor Place. According to BillKrever, President and CEO of Better Living Healthand Community Services, it is not surprising that the“Boomers” will change the face of senior Centres. “Ifyou look at every stage of their life, the “Boomers”have changed our society. As children, they changedour education system, as teenagers they inventedrock music and political protests, as parents theyinvented the mini van and as mature adults theygave us SUV’s and a new perspective on health andwellness. So, it is not surprising as seniors that theywould reinvent senior centres.”Better Living Health and Community Servicesrecently completed a three year research projectfor the Older Adult Centres’ Association of Ontarioentitled “Building Bridges to Tomorrow”. The finalreport, “A Profile of Older Adult Centres in Ontario”,includes an in-depth statistical analysis of more than2,700 surveys done with members of centres acrossOntario. Bill Krever and Lisa Mistelbacher, ResearchCoordinator, recently presented the findings fromthis study at the annual conference of the NationalCouncil on Aging in Chicago. Mistelbacher notedthat “senior centres throughout North America arestruggling to change their image to attract the“Boomer” population”.Krever suggested that changes to centres like E. P.Taylor Place will include both presenting a muchyounger and active image along with focusing moreon fitness programs, educational seminars and healthpromotion. “The “Boomers” will demand a differentrange of activities along with different expectationsfor program quality and content. The “Boomers”will also be very different in terms of their volunteerinterests and activities according to Krever.Better Living Health and Community Services hasbeen planning for the influx of the “Boomers” forthe last 10 years. The introduction of the OverlandClub was a leading approach to recognizing that“Boomers” would not identify with traditionalsenior programs. Both the Overland Club and E. P.Taylor Place have also introduced a number of newfitness and health programs designed for youngerparticipants.In 2012, the first “Boomers” in Canada will reachage 65. With this milestone will come a numberof changes to the traditional way we view seniorsand the landscape as we know it within services forseniors will begin to be reshaped. Get ready for it –the “Boomers” will be a major influence for the next40 years.5