I'll be honest, when I first became the director of Next more than a decade ago, I thought I understood what the job was about. I came from a background in community programming and had a genuine desire to serve seniors. What I didn't expect was how much I would receive in return -- life lessons I have learned by simply paying attention. Slow down and mean it: early in my time as director, I made it a habit to walk through the center a few times a day. One afternoon I stoppe

What SuperAgers can teach us about aging well Imagine taking a memory test and outscoring people thirty years younger than you. For "SuperAgers," that is not an anomaly, it's a measurable reality. SuperAgers are individuals 80 and older whose memory and cognitive function test at the level of healthy adults in their 50s and 60s. The phenomenon of SuperAgers has been studied for more than a decade at Northwestern University's Cognitive Neurology and Alzheimer's Disease Center.

Why does the City of Birmingham contract with Next, a nonprofit 501(c) (3), to provide senior services? According to the National Council of Nonprofits, “A nonprofit service organization is mission-driven, operating for public benefit by delivering expertise, labor, and assistance to the community. Success depends on skilled employees who build meaningful relationships with those they serve.” Nowhere is that definition more true than when you look at Next. Unlike every other

Ever notice when you are made aware of something, say a new car model, a word, or a brand, you suddenly see it everywhere? After recently reading, The Longevity Economy, by Joseph Coughlin who runs the MIT AgeLab, I can’t help but see how many ways businesses and municipalities overlook older consumers, even at their own detriment. We have all seen the commercials. Seniors grinning over their reverse mortgages or struggling with smart phones. It's the same tired script: senio

I still remember the celebration when Next and the City of Birmingham announced the purchase of 400 E. Lincoln — the former YMCA building. It seems like yesterday, but that was back in 2023. Next had been looking for a new facility for quite a while. Between our membership growth and the Birmingham Public Schools need to expand their preschool, the YMCA’s decision to sell their Birmingham location was serendipitous. Birmingham seniors were excited, and filled with the anticip

Share the Spirit of the Season – It’s Good for You. December is a month filled with holidays that prompt us into a different mindset. A mindset where we try to find time to be more giving and generous, offering deliberate acts of kindness . We may pick-up a shift at a soup kitchen, ring the Salvation Army bell in front of your local store or write a check to your favorite non-profit (which is always welcome). But what if those ac

Making room at the table As the holidays approach, it’s a time of year many of us look forward to — but what no one likes to talk about is the holidays hit different when you're older. While the rest of us are caught up in the chaos of shopping, decorating, and planning, there's an awful lot of people in our community who might be watching it all from the sidelines. We talk a lot about holiday spirit, but what does that actually

Since 2013, Birmingham has extensively studied senior services, noting very compelling statistics on a quickly expanding senior...

Next’s new chapter For the past 48 years, the Birmingham Public Schools provided area seniors a dedicated space to gather, learn and...

When Next Becomes a Lifeline. The profound transitions we experience as we age was something I did not truly appreciate until I began...