NC Senior GamesStill Leading the Way

After 30 years

Dr. Karla HendersonBrad Allen

Lynn Harrell

Overview

*Components of the North Carolina Senior Games

*The Legacy of the Program

*Measuring Success – Now and in the Future

*How Senior Games can Benefit your Citizens

Why Senior Games?

What is Senior Games?

Year-round Health promotion and wellness for adults 50 years of age and better through:

Fun

Fitness

Fellowship

Family

Friends

Where is Senior Games?

Local Games-53 across the state serving all 100 counties. Over 60,000 persons participate in year-round programs over 5000 volunteers locally.

State Finals-annually in the fall for qualifiers. 3000 participants, 900 volunteers

Components of Senior Games

Athletic EventsArcheryBadmintonAccuracy Events i.e. Football Throw

BilliardsBocceBowlingCroquetCycling

Track and FieldGolfHorseshoes and shuffleboardRacquetballTeam sportsSwimmingTable Tennis and Tennis

Visual, Heritage, Literary, Performing, Cheerleaders

Public-Private Partnership

*North Carolina Senior Games is the largest health promotion program of its’ type in the United States and has received national recognition for programming and service for older adults;

* Diverse support statewide and locally through:

*Corporate Sponsors

*6 Major Coordinating Agencies

*22 Endorsing Agencies

* In-kind support by a Vast Network of Volunteers

Legacy of NC Senior Games

*Inter-generational activities that have shaped and changed perspectives on aging and of older persons;

*Providing new opportunities for life enrichment and wellness for older persons, i.e., women raised in the pre-Title IX era;

Legacy of NC Senior Games

*Transformation of facilities in many communities across the state – shuffleboard courts, bocce courts, shared space between active youths and older persons;

*Inclusion of experienced individuals on planning boards, steering committees, etc.;

*Nurturing of the “Fun, Friends, Family, Fitness and Fellowship” that Senior Games participants enjoy across lines of cultural, gender, geographic, economic and social diversity;

Legacy of NC Senior Games

*Empowerment of participants to new levels of civic and political involvement through the Senior Games Ambassadors’ Program;

*Better health, greater social involvement and life enrichment for hundreds of thousands of older persons in every part of the state!

Legacy of NC Senior Games

Measuring Program Impact/Success

*There is considerable emphasis from funding entities to PROVE the IMPACT of recreation and health promotion programs - - - How can we measure success?

Research about NCSG2006-2013

And the Survey Says….

*Research Associated with NCSG

1. 2007, 2010, 2013* Evaluations

2. Analysis of NCSG Volunteers

3. NCSG Grandparents

4. 2012 Selected Sites (for use of sites)

5. Photo Elicitation of State Games Finals

*Preliminary data

2007, 2010, 2013 Evaluations

Purpose: Examine the role and influence of North Carolina Senior Games (NCSG) in addressing factors leading to healthy living and successful aging

Develop a profile of NCSG participants

Methods

2007 Systematic sample of 1000 local games participants

2010 Systematic sample of 1127 local games participants

2013 All participants in 2013 State Finals*

*Preliminary data

*Demographics

*Almost equal number of women and men responded*Average age was 70-71 years with a range of 55-96 years*About 70% were married *About 80% percent White, African American (10%), Native American (6%). Hispanic/Latino (<1%), and Asian American (<1%)*Over ¾ rated present health Excellent or Very Good

*Reasons for Participating

Reasons 2007 2010 2013*

Fun 95% 98% 97%

Keep Active 91% 97% 96%

Friendship 90% 90% 88%

Fitness 83% 91% 91%

Improves Health

78% 87% 89%

*Physical and Social Activity

Activity 2007 2010 2013*

NCSG Regular Part of Weekly Schedule

75% 79% 84%

Motivates to be more Physically Active

60% 67% 68%

Motivates to be more Socially Active

66% 66% 63%

*Perceived Increases in

Outcomes from NCSG

Outcome 2010 2013*

Meet more People

86% 87%

Good feelings about life

78% 77%

Self-Esteem 71% 73%

Energy Level 64% 53%

My Health 62% 62%

Physical Strength

57% 59%

Heart and Lung Functioning

55% 56%

Perceptions of Greater Benefits

WomenIndividuals living alone Participants with HS education or less Lower income individuals

*NCSG Volunteers

To assess needs and interests of STATE FINALS volunteers to provide better program quality

Characteristics of NCSG Volunteers:

¾ Female

85% White

Average age = 49 years with range of 18-95 years

10% were students

Average number of years volunteering = 7 years

Average hours volunteering at State Finals = 13

20% of volunteers were ALSO participants

Reasons for Volunteering

Help others through SG

Genuinely concerned about older adults

Just plain fun

Doing something for the SG cause that is important to me

*NCSG Grandparents

Thesis by Liana Dern (2011)

Explore perceptions of aging and older adults held by children who had grandparents that were participants in NCSG

Findings

Children:a) Described a range of

perceptions of older adults

b) Built relationships with grandparents through leisure activities like NCSG

c) Saw grandparents as role models for aging

*Photo Elicitation about State Finals

*Purpose: To examine the meanings associated with physical activity participation by older adults in NCSG State Finals through the use of photo elicitation.

*Results

1.Distinguishing Oneself Through Competition

2.Transforming Identity

3.Being Part of a Collective Experience

4.Redefining Aging

*Results

*Theme 1: Distinguishing oneself through competition

“…they posted the results after the events occur and so everybody goes and looks at the board to see what they got…although everybody likes to participate, the awards are really nice, too, so everybody’s curious

to see how they do to judge their performance” – female , age 56

Taking home a medal was one way participants separated themselves from others. One

male participant said, “I just want a medal – it could be bronze, I don’t care what it is…as long as I got something to bring back as a memory.”

*Results

*Theme 4: Redefining Aging

“She’s not very fast, she just keeps on going…For

somebody her age, it would be a whole lot

easier to sit home and not do anything”

“This is the oldest runner in the Senior Games history… He’s 101…When you see someone doing that at his age, it really makes you look at yourself and what you do and what you are able to do in a different light.”

“It’s just so encouraging to someone at that age still being very, very active”

How Can Senior Games Help YOU?

*Serving a GROWING population

*Facilitating Public/Private Partnerships

Surry County Commissioners recognize Senior Games participants