Document Type
Research Report
Publication Date
12-2022
Keywords
Middleton, Massachusetts, needs assessment, older residents, dementia
Disciplines
Gerontology
Abstract
This report describes research undertaken by the Center for Social & Demographic Research on Aging within the Gerontology Institute at the University of Massachusetts Boston, on behalf of the Town of Middleton. The content of this report is meant to inform the Middleton Council on Aging (COA), and organizations that work with and on behalf of older residents of Middleton, for the purposes of planning and coordination of services. Through a process of community engagement and mixed method data collection, the goals of this project are twofold: 1) to inform the planning and design of the future senior center space and 2) to inform the Council on Aging and the Town about the needs and preferences for programs and services to be offered at the senior center.
Sustained growth in the percentage of older Middleton residents, compared to the full Middleton population, is expected within the next decade. The overarching observation – that the share of older residents of Middleton is already large and will continue to expand – makes clear the importance of considering how well features of the Town, the services and amenities available, and virtually every aspect of the community align with the age demographic moving forward. Planning is especially warranted with respect to the Council on Aging and the future senior center space, which may be heavily impacted by aging of Middleton residents.
In preparing for this demographic shift, the Middleton COA and the Center for Social and Demographic Research on Aging at the University of Massachusetts Boston partnered to conduct a study to investigate the needs, interests, preferences, and opinions of the Town’s residents and stakeholders.
Community Engaged/Serving
Part of the UMass Boston Community-Engaged Teaching, Research, and Service Series. //scholarworks.umb.edu/engage
Recommended Citation
Berger, Sue and Coyle, Caitlin, "Aging in Middleton: A Community Needs Assessment" (2022). Center for Social and Demographic Research on Aging Publications. 82.
https://scholarworks.umb.edu/demographyofaging/82