The purpose of this research was to investigate the relationship between participation in social activities in senior citizens centers and the potential benefits for cognitive performance, mood and life satisfaction. Twenty-nine seniors, who had recently become members of four senior citizens centers, each completed two evaluations: one prior to participation and the other after six months of group activities. Assessment protocol included the following scales: Mini Mental Status Examination, Word List of the Consortium to Establish a Registry for Alzheimer's Disease, Verbal Fluency Test in the Animals Category, Geriatric Depression Scale, and the Life Satisfaction Scale. Results indicated that participation in social programs can generate benefits: a significant increase was detected in word recall and also an improvement, approaching statistical significance, in word fluency and life satisfaction in terms of social involvement. The impact of the involvement of the elderly in these programs needs to be investigated.
Aging; Senior citizens centers; Elderly; Personal satisfaction
