Town Resources - Senior Centers & Municipal Agents
Senior Centers
Senior centers are one of the most widely used services among America’s older adults.
- Today, almost 10,000 senior centers serve over 1 million older adults every day.
- Senior centers serve as a gateway to the nation’s aging network – connecting older adults to vital community services that can help them stay healthy and independent.
- Research shows that older adults who participate in senior center programs can learn to manage and delay the onset of chronic disease and experience measurable improvements in their physical, social, spiritual, emotional, mental, and economic well-being.
- Today’s senior centers are reinventing themselves to meet the needs and desires of the aging baby boom generation. Boomers now constitute more than two-thirds of the 50+ population.
Excerpt from NCOA: Senior Centers Fact Sheet
Find a senior center near you!
Senior Centers as Focal Points
Connecticut senior centers are as diverse in what they offer as the communities they serve. Not only do centers provide a wide array of options for recreation, wellness, socialization, life-long learning, and enrichment, but most of the senior centers in south central also serve as focal points (as indicated by a * on the list of senior centers - click on the link above).
Under the Older Americans Act, senior centers are designated as a focal point if they provide information & assistance, connecting older adults with community services and benefits. Many also provide Older American Act services, such as transportation and senior cafes. For a list of senior cafes in south central Connecticut click here.
Municipal Agents
The Municipal Agent for the Elderly program was established in 1972 by the Connecticut State Legislature in order to assure that each of Connecticut's 169 towns and cities have an officially appointed town representative to assist individuals 60 and over in their community.
Municipal Agents provide information and referral services, distribute information, assist individuals in learning about community resources, and help with applying for benefits.