Senior services survey finds engagement gap
A Council on Aging and Senior Services survey of 595 Amherst residents found most older adults rarely use town senior programs, even though 73% plan to spend their senior years in town. The town released five priorities to address low engagement, costs and facility needs.
The Town of Amherst announced Oct. 30 the results of a survey conducted by the Council on Aging, in partnership with Senior Services, to assess the needs of the community's older adults and evaluate the town's senior programs.
The survey drew 595 responses. It found that 73% of respondents plan to spend their senior years in Amherst, with another 23% saying maybe. At the same time, 63.2% said they are concerned about local taxes and 54.1% about the overall cost of living.
The results point to a wide engagement gap: between 74% and 92% of respondents said they have never used any of the 17 Senior Services offerings evaluated. The most used services were fitness classes (26.2%), SHINE appointments (23%) and health services (20.8%). The Wednesday Market received the highest satisfaction rating, at 65.1%. Asked why they have not participated, 59.7% said the Senior Center is simply not part of their routine. Respondents said a gym (55.8%) and better parking (54.1%) would be most likely to increase their participation.
The survey also found that 36% of respondents live alone, 45% have no family members living nearby, and 21% provide care to another person.
"This survey gives us an opportunity to listen to older adults in Amherst and use their experiences to help shape what comes next," Director of Senior Services Dan Garcia said in the release.
In response, the Council on Aging and Senior Services outlined five priorities for planning: repositioning the Senior Center as an active aging and community hub, strengthening outreach, addressing parking and facility needs, expanding aging-in-place support such as housing and tax relief, and building on programs that already perform well, including fitness classes, SHINE, health services, the Wednesday Market, dance and tech support.
Residents with questions can contact Senior Services by visiting the Senior Center, emailing seniorcenter@amherstma.gov or calling 413-259-3060.
Source: Town of Amherst announcement, October 31, 2026.
Checked against the record: before publication this article was automatically compared with the original announcement.
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