'Not your grandmother's center': Seniors centers evolve with Pilates, pickleball and pub burgers

Strong coffee and bingo are enough to draw Betty Delaney to the Highlands Area Senior Center every day. But her “partner in crime,” Christine Drane, said there’s a spicier reason to check out the Tarentum facility.

“The meatballs are exceptionally good,” said Drane of Natrona Heights. “The lunches can’t be beat.”

Since the covid shutdown in 2020, senior centers have rebounded by reimagining old age.

It’s no longer bridge games and hot dogs. Centers have upped their game for people 60 and older, many of whom are barely on the cusp of old age and who have grown accustomed to trendy offerings such as pickleball and Pilates.

“We have cornhole and pingpong, and today for lunch we’re having taco salad with pineapple salsa,” said Beth Rager, director at the Latrobe Center for Active Adults. “Some days, it’s really booming in here.”

For many, senior centers are a place to eat a hot meal or chat with friends, but benefits can reach far beyond social hour. Perks can include feelings of improved physical health, decreased levels of depression and upticks in cognizance.

“Socialization is such an important part of keeping people healthy as they age,” said Shannah Tharp Gilliam, deputy director of aging services for Allegheny County’s Department of Human Services Area Agency on Aging.

Allegheny County has 40 senior community centers, each with its own unique, neighborhood focus, Gilliam said. Westmoreland County has 13 centers for active adults, and Armstrong has 12 senior centers and satellite centers operated by its Area Agency on Aging.

“Seniors can get a warm meal, take part in activities and interact with others in their community,” she said.

According to the National Council on Aging, more than 11,000 senior centers nationwide serve 1 million-plus older adults every day.

The demand will only continue to grow.

In 2019, there were 54.1 million adults 65 or older, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. That number is expected to reach 80.8 million by 2040.

At the Highlands Senior Center inside Dalton’s Edge Complex along Second Avenue, people 60 and older can be entertained and educated, all for a $1 voluntary donation.

“Mostly, everybody talks,” said Delaney, 79, who runs the art classes on Wednesdays. “We do our best with the painting, but, just like Bob Ross, sometimes we have happy accidents. We have a lot of fun with it.”

According to CDC research, older adults who participate in senior center programs can delay the onset of chronic illness such as dementia, heart disease, diabetes, arthritis and cancer.

With access to blood pressure checks, cancer screenings and blood sugar testing, as well as assistance programs for utilities, employment and housing, measures can help older adults remain independent.

Other times, people pop by because it provides an emotional connection.

“We take time and sit with them to see how they’re doing,” said Thearle Johnson, supervisor of the New Kensington Senior Center on Third Avenue.

“Sometimes you can tell that there’s something bothering them, and I just think a hug or a listening ear or word of inspiration can really make a difference. We’re their family a lot of times.”

For 90-year-old Mary Rose of Latrobe, the Center for Active Adults helped to fill a void after her husband died in 2018.

Married for 63 years, Rose said she felt lonely until a friend invited her to tag along to a center activity.

Now, she’s there almost daily.

“It helps me tremendously coming here,” Rose said. “It was such a shock, and I had to get used to (him being) gone. Now, I get to talk with everyone, and where else can you get a lunch for $2?”

Her favorite item?

“The cheeseburgers,” Rose said.

“Seventy-something” Barbara Davis has frequented the Latrobe center for nearly a decade, mostly for the bingo and crafts.

She enjoys the camaraderie so much that, on several days, she dons an apron and helps in the kitchen to prepare the $2 lunch served at 11:30 a.m.

“It’s a good, local organization in which to meet other people. We exchange information, enjoy lunch and gab,” Davis said.

The center draws as many as 25 people a day to the Fifth Ward School Building, a count that is nearing pre-pandemic numbers, Rager said.

“We’re not fully back, but we’re working on it,” she said.

A fresh array of programs has helped to attract new faces.

Programs have grown trendier as people remain active longer and take better care of themselves, Rager said. Classes such as aqua aerobics, jewelry making and bowling fill the schedule.

Some people can’t wait until 10 a.m. to kick-start their day, Rager said.

“Usually by 8:30, there’s a group of gentlemen gathered near the pool table,” she said.

“We try to have things that keep their minds sharp and give them something to look forward to. We love to see them come in and be active.”

Therapist Amy Halter said having a purpose holds a lot of weight for senior citizens.

“Many senior citizens struggle to get out and stay active,” said Halter, who has a practice in Leechburg. “Having the opportunity to engage with others is so important, especially if the senior citizen spends many hours of the day alone.”

It’s crucial to remain part of society, whether through hobbies, gardening or taking a trip.

“It helps give them satisfaction,” Halter said. “Research shows that maintaining an active lifestyle improves ­mental health and may prevent ­mental health prob­lems like depression among el­derly ­people.”

In Freeport, board members at the senior center worked to keep older folks engaged throughout covid, President Bill Cogley said.

“We were able to make home lunch deliveries during covid, so that kept interest alive,” he said. “We wore the masks and everything, and when things reopened, the activities resumed pretty quickly.”

Without fail, bingo is the biggest draw each week to the site along Fifth Street. But small crowds of about 25 come for ice cream socials, music and health-related discussions.

“We have a nurse come in and do checks, and we have people come in from the state police and talk about how seniors can get scammed. We do things to try to keep people safe,” Cogley said.

“They come for everything, but give them a bingo and they really love it.”

At the Highlands Senior Center, there’s a mix of mental and physical stimulation. A new coloring program aims to reduce stress and promote mindfulness. Likewise, chair yoga teaches ways to boost balance and flexibility.

“We want to provide mental stimulation and brain health,” center coordinator Shevawn Timko said.

Attendance at the center is not quite what it was before the pandemic, but Timko said a revamped lunch menu is working wonders to fill seats.

“It’s more of a dining experience now,” she said, “rather than a cafeteria.”

Upscale and health-conscious entrees include pub steak burgers with broccoli slaw, and beef barbecue brisket and strawberry shortcake.

“Everyone’s really excited about the new menu,” Timko said. “We usually get a full house for lunch.”

Similarly, the revamped menu at Riverview Community Action Corp. in Oakmont is piquing interest, program coordinator Mary Margaret Fisher said.

For $1.25, participants can devour light and healthy fare such as tuna club sandwiches and fresh fruit parfaits.

Fisher, who started with the center in the midst of covid, said it was slow going to try to reassure people about coming back to gatherings.

“Some people are still reluctant, but they are definitely making their way back,” she said. “We have a lot of new people, too.”

Fisher said familiarity can breed boredom, so she enjoys suggestions from patrons to keep the activity schedule fresh.

New this year is somatics, a relaxing form of yoga, and a walking group that treks around Riverview Park.

This summer, there is a shopping trip to Bakery Square in Pittsburgh’s Larimer section.

“I love when they say they’ve never felt so good,” Fisher said. “You have to find different ways to get people here and see what works.

“We want to get them out in the community and provide them a more fulfilling life.”

Staff writer Joyce Hanz contributed to this report.