Manoj Pardasani

Senior Centers: Innovative and Emerging Models

Nationally, 11,000 senior centers play a vital role in supporting community-dwelling older adults by offering a diverse array of recreational, nutritional, health, and social service programs. The purpose of this study was to identify innovative models of senior centers nationwide and evaluate their impact on the communities they serve. Applying a multiple-case study approach to a national survey sample, six innovative models were identified by members of the New Models Taskforce (NMTF), a project sponsored by the National Institute of Senior Centers (NISC). The NMTF hoped to document the innovative efforts of senior centers to reimagine and reposition themselves within the aging services field. This article will highlight the defining characteristics of each model and discuss their implications for the field. The potential impact of each model on the senior center field will be illustrated.

Senior Centers: Characteristics of Participants and Nonparticipants

This article examines the sociodemographic characteristics of senior center participants and nonparticipants, identifies differences between the two cohorts, and highlights their rationale for participation or nonparticipation. Few studies have attempted to delineate the demographic and choice predictors of senior center participation in the last 10 years. A population of 1,283 older adults residing in northwest Indiana was surveyed for this study. Bivariate analysis of study data found significant differences between participants and nonparticipants, and yielded valuable information about the changing needs and expectations of community-dwelling older adults. Implications of the study findings are relevant for the continued sustainability and relevance of senior centers nationwide. The results provide the framework for recommendations to senior centers with respect to both policy and practice.

How Much Does the Distance in Distance Education Matter? Our Students Speak

Distance learning programs in social work education have been growing exponentially throughout the United States. This study interviewed Master of Social Work (MSW) students enrolled in two synchronous distance-learning courses that employed a blended pedagogy, and evaluates their insights about the learning experience. For these two courses, material was presented via video conferencing and supplemented with online media at two campuses at a large school of social work. In order to give students a voice about their experiences, data were collected using semi-structured face-to-face interviews. Common themes included: autonomy, emotional connectedness, technological challenges, and knowledge acquisition. Both the strengths and challenges related to distance learning are discussed.

More Than the Sum of Its Parts: An Innovative Organizational Collaboration Model

For at least the past decade, the social service sector has been pressed by external forces to develop models of interagency collaboration. While many organizations use strategic partnerships, joint service delivery models, and even mergers to remain viable in climates of competition, few agencies have explored the possible rewards of sharing development and fundraising tasks. This article examines an innovative collaborative fundraising entity forged by three child welfare organizations in the New York City area. The authors conducted structured interviews with key stakeholders at each of the three agencies to describe the model as implemented by the agencies as well as begin to identify the organizational and executive characteristics that may make such models successful. The article concludes with a discussion of recommendations and suggestions for organizations interested in pursuing similar collective efforts, in addition to providing areas of consideration for agency executives.

New York City Senior Centers: A Unique, Grassroots, Collaborative Advocacy Effort

This article represents a unique, collaborative effort among a university, an advocacy organization, and community-based service providers to develop a deeper understanding of their field of service (senior centers) and integrate the findings into a strategic advocacy endeavor. A population of 155 New York City senior center administrators/directors comprised the sample for this study. Although some studies have attempted to highlight the demographic characteristics and choice predictors of senior center participation, no studies have evaluated the challenges faced by the administrators or their opinions on the sustainability of this service-delivery model. Faced with dire budgetary cuts and forced closures, the collaborators sought to generate evidence of the impact and influence of senior centers. The study found a rich diversity of programming in senior centers, highlighted the current operational challenges faced by senior centers, and illustrated the professional developmental needs of administrators. The results provided the framework for recommendations to legislators and government agencies with respect to both policy and practice challenges and contributed to significant policy changes at the government level in New York City.

Senior Centers and Policy Advocacy: Changing Public Perceptions.

As critical components of the aging continuum of care, senior centers promote older adult health and well-being by providing opportunities for recreation, socialization, nutrition, health education, and access to vital social services. Nationally, a vast network of 11,000 senior centers serves over four million older adults annually. As the United States population ages rapidly, public funding, which is the primary source of support for a majority of senior center services, has remained stagnant. If senior centers are to continue to effectively serve older adults and meet their comprehensive needs, they need to demonstrate their relevance to the community and advocate for increased funding support. This paper explores the policy concerns of senior center administrators, investigates their efforts to influence public policy, illustrates advocacy techniques currently utilized by them, and highlights the learning needs of administrators in this regard. Practice implications for senior centers, their constituents, and gerontological education are provided.

Parenting in Later Life: A Cross-Cultural Study

This study explored older parents’ beliefs about their parental role with their adult children, their perceptions of intergenerational conflicts between themselves and their adult children, and the negotiation of autonomy versus dependence with adult children in later life. The influence of cultural norms and mutual dependence on these intergenerational relationships was also evaluated. Focus groups were conducted with two groups of older adults attending a senior center in New York City—one who identified as American and the other as Asian Indian. Implications of the findings and recommendations for social workers are highlighted.

Moving Stories: Evaluation of an MSW Experiential Learning Project on Aging and Diversity.

This study consists of an oral history project that partnered MSW students with community dwelling older adults from diverse backgrounds. It used a comparison group with a pretest and posttest design and a sample of 74 MSW students to evaluate changes in their confidence levels, future plans of working with older adults, and geriatric competencies. Results of MANOVAs revealed that participation in the oral history project was significantly related to future career plans, confidence about working with diverse older adults, and geriatric competencies related to diversity, particularly for the experimental group. Exposing social work students to a broad-based curriculum with aging content has important implications toward fostering students’ interests in pursuing social work practice with older adults and in preparing them for culturally competent social work.

Merging for Survival: An Innovative Collaboration Effort, One Year Later

Nonprofit human services providers are struggling to meet increasing demands for services with diminished budgetary resources. This study returns to a unique collaborative fundraising model one year later in order to assess the progress toward successful joint fundraising a year after an initial study of the partnership was completed. Key stakeholders from the two remaining partner agencies were interviewed using a semi-structured interview protocol. Two major themes arose from examining the data: the primacy of relationships in building a successful collaboration and the importance of sustainability and accountability to the well-being of the new organization. The authors discuss practice implications as well as important considerations for other leaders considering the implementation of such a model.

The Orphans International Tanzania (OIT) family care model: strengthening kinship networks and empowering families.

As the AIDS/HIV epidemic grows exponentially in Tanzania, the number of children who are orphaned due to this illness has increased in alarming proportions. Utilizing a preliminary exploration of a case study, this article explores a unique, collaborative, grassroots model of comprehensive community care. Orphans International Tanzania (OIT) operates a unique family preservation and support program, the Family Care Program, which aims to maintain orphaned children in home environments with access to education, basic medical care, and good nutrition. Incorporating a strategic international agency/community-based nongovernment organization partnership design and an internationally recognized family support model, comprehensive services are provided to children and their caregivers. This article provides information on impact of HIV/AIDS on Tanzania, illustrates the components of the program model, highlights critical community partnership development, and describes its influence on the children, their kinship caregivers and the community in general. Implications for replication in other communities impacted by HIV/AIDS are provided.