Cheryl Guyton, assistant executive director of Central Connections, said the average age of the membership is 75, and since the center opened its location at 3907 Central Ave. eight years ago, membership has dropped from 2,000 to 1,200. To stay in business, changes had to be made, she said.
“Otherwise,” she said, “at some point, we wouldn’t have anybody.”
Ann Munafo, executive director, said when the current membership was analyzed, officials noticed “a major and disturbing shift,” older members who passed away or were unable to attend regularly weren’t being replaced by younger members.
That’s a problem in Middletown and around the country, Munafo said. She said senior centers are either changing their names, switching programs, or in some cases, closing because of dwindling membership.
According to the 2013 census, there are 48,630 people living in Middletown and 15 percent are 65 or older. In Butler County, the numbers are 374,158 and 13 percent; and in Ohio, there are 11.5 million residents and 14 percent are 65 or older.
Munafo said those Baby Boomers refuse to be considered seniors because they’re working and raising their families.
So, she said, “We needed to recreate ourselves.”
That meant being a place to socialize, provide healthy lifestyles and attract members 60 and older, officials said. Programs that used to be offered only in the afternoon will now be held in the morning, afternoon and night. Guyton said younger seniors don’t spend as much time in the center as older members.
She said the center has added a snack area that offers nutritional food options that hopefully will be attractive to those who work out or attend a program, then return to work.
Kip Moore, activities director at the center, said it’s important for seniors to know that programs are being added, not dropped. He said Zumba and yoga classes are being offered to create “a younger feel.”
That may also translate into more rental business for the center, said Barbara Flory, 75, who has been a member for several years. She said some people are reluctant to rent the facility for a graduation party or wedding reception when the word “senior” is in the name.
The center opened in Middletown in 1953, and since has moved six times, said Munafo said. A new center was built on Verity Parkway, the senior home for about 30 years, she said. The center was built on Central and opened in 2007.
Munafo said the center has members from Middletown, Trenton, Monroe, Madison, Lemon and Wayne townships, and parts of Warren County. She said about 500 to 600 meals are delivered to residents in their homes every day.
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