Just flicking through a new book "It's payback time: how to be rich and happy in your post-working life", where the author, Morris Kaplan, speculates as follows (p. 209):
"As baby boomers redefine the traditional retirement years, they'll also challenge the institutions set up to serve them to change. The traditional 'senior' centre is one such institution that's likely to undergo big changes in approach, marketing and services. After all, boomers may not flock to something called a 'senior centre', but they will still need a place to get the services and networking opportunities they're looking for as they plan the next chapters of their lives.
The future senior centre may well look more like a mix of internet cafe and travel agency than a place where retired people go to pass away the time of day, perhaps 'The Elder Cafe'? It will most likely be a place to sip a latte while searching for paid or volunteer work that provides service to the community, visiting a career coach, attending life planning workshops, finding out more about caring for ageing parents, exploring adventure travel opportunities, signing up for continuing education classes, attending cultural events, and comparing notes with other boomers entering the same stage of thier lives.
'The Elder Cafe' concept centre recognizes that when adults enter a new stage of life that no longer requires them to go to a workplace every day, they'll want somewhere that's appealing, hip and active; a place that keeps them connected to their peers and to the wider community and therefore better off in the end."
Hmmm sounds a bit like a library doesn't it...
