Evaluating the Relationship of Social Service Usage to Neighborhood Community for Older Adults: A Case Study

Abstract

Older adults who live in cities can cultivate a sense of neighborhood community that mitigates problems like poverty and ill health. However, it is not certain residence in urban neighborhoods is always related to community. This study investigates the potential of social services to positively associate with neighborhood community. Offering chances for older adults to interact with each other and with service providers who render basic services like social activities, meals, and housing, social services are a unique source of such community. We utilized hierarchical linear models with individual data from the Public Health Management Corporation’s Southeastern Pennsylvania Household Health Survey and neighborhood data from the American Community Survey. Findings suggest that the association with neighborhood community depends on the type of service and that race/ethnicity has an impact. For older adult Black respondents, residence in mostly Black neighborhoods increases the chances some services will relate to neighborhood community.