Volume 06 | Issue 05

September 2025

Senior centers are pillars that help support the overall structure of a thriving community, offering connection, purpose, and well-being. Yet misconceptions often keep people from fully engaging with all they have to offer. Changing the way we talk about aging helps shift those perceptions and strengthens support for programs like senior centers. 

Here are three resources you can use to reframe aging and help increase support for this vital community pillar: 

• Use the Quick Start Guide to check your communications for opportunities to reframe how you talk about aging and senior centers. 
• Watch and circulate the Frame of Mind video series with your friends and colleagues to spread awareness of the why of reframing aging.
• Share the Caravan newsletter so your network can be up to date with the latest resources and tips from the National Center to Reframe Aging.

The National Center to Reframe Aging is also partnering with the Pennsylvania Department of Aging to reframe communications on senior centers with the goal of increasing public awareness and investment in senior centers. This partnership will involve a three-phase approach: 1) a statewide survey of senior center professionals to explore current communication strategies and challenges, 2) developing a framing strategy in collaboration with the FrameWorks Institute, and 3) equipping the network with those strategies. Together, we are setting an example for other states on how to align public perception with the essential role senior centers play in community life.  

Reach out to us at reframingaging@geron.org to learn more about how you can partner with the National Center to Reframe Aging to reframe communications on vital community resources, such as senior centers, in your community. 

The Gerontological Society of America and the National Center to Reframe Aging are hosting a four-part webinar series, “Telling Your Story.” This series focuses on bringing research to the public and advancing the field of aging during a time when the public's trust in science is waning. Join to learn ways you can bring aging research to the public, including legislators, administrators, skeptics, funders and media.

Check out the archive of the series and register for the next webinar on September 23 at 3:30 PM ET.

Storytelling is a powerful tool. How we frame our lived expertise can foster understanding, shift perceptions, and inspire change. This 60-minute webinar will help you think about how to talk about your experiences with ageism in ways that raise awareness and inspire action. 

Discover how framing your lived expertise with ageism can make your story more impactful and learn how you can incorporate these stories in your work to promote Ageism Awareness Day. Don’t wait, free early bird registration is open now until September 24.   

Multisector Plans on Aging (MPAs) are a community-wide blueprint to make systems and services work better for all of us as we grow older—a powerful tool for building places that support us all as we age. But how do we make sure they dispel stereotypes and reflect the realities of aging in policy and planning?  

Join the National Center to Reframe Aging for a special webinar, Reframing Aging in Multisector Plans: Strategies for Impact, on October 30 at 12 PM ET. Together, we’ll explore how states are applying reframed messaging to strengthen MPAs. 

Caravan Poll Results

The National Center to Reframe Aging is celebrating senior centers and all they have to offer. Last month, we asked you to share one word that best describes your perception of senior centers. Thank you for your responses, check out the word cloud below representing last month’s poll results: 

Each month, we highlight articles and podcasts that are fueling our conversations about aging. Explore this month’s picks below:

When Safety Nets Fail: Why Philanthropy Must Be the Bridge Elders Deserve

Inside Philanthropy

By: Janet Y. Spears and Anna Karrer Manley

90% of older workers report experiencing age discrimination

HR Dive

By: Emilie Shumway

Hollister Senior Center garden club grows community

Lake County Star

By: Darren Iozia