Innovation in Aging · 4 authors, 4 centres
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This mixed-methods study examined senior centers in Massachusetts to identify organizational factors linked to their engagement in dementia-friendly community initiatives. The central finding is that higher levels of social capital (partnerships, active age-friendly status), more dementia-focused programs, and a greater variety of funding sources are strongly associated with greater senior center engagement in this work.
The study used a mixed-methods design to explore how organizational characteristics of senior centers influence their engagement in dementia-friendly community (DFC) initiatives. Quantitative analysis of 342 centers found robust associations between greater DFC engagement and higher levels of social capital (e.g., more partnerships, active age-friendly status), more dementia-focused programming, and greater variety of funding sources. Human capital indicators showed fewer significant bivariate associations. The findings suggest that policy and practice should foster both organizational capacity and multilevel systemic conditions to enable senior centers' involvement in DFC work.
