"We struggle with giving our customers what they want versus what we think they need," says Margo. This realization has led to discontinuing group trips that weren’t garnering as much interest as expected, and reducing and rethinking Leighton’s senior resource library. Margo emphasizes that seniors themselves are the best people to know what they need and want in their lives. In planning, programmers should take steps to be certain their ideas come from seniors, not themselves -- it will save backtracking in the future. "They [seniors] have to do what they have to do to complete their lives. Too often we want to ‘do for them’ -- to infantilize them."

Outreach to a variety of senior communities is critical in ensuring diverse participants and wide-spread involvement. In particular, minority seniors require a focus relevant to their lifestyles and needs. Margo emphasizes the importance of having a diverse group of staff and volunteers doing outreach as well. Respect for diversity builds trust.

Mental health is an important senior issue. A higher number of seniors suffer from depression then other age groups, and finding ways to address mental health is undoubtedly beneficial. Program staff still find meeting this need challenging, and continue to evaluate the best way to integrate mental health education and emotional support into programming.

Seniors are "a very savvy group," Margo points out, noting that generally they put stock in hard evidence and expertise. Perhaps for this reason programs that bring in professions, particularly medical experts, have been well received. Harriet Pritchard, a senior volunteer and participant at Leighton Center agrees that featuring professionals who can talk frankly in small, comfortable settings is something that’s hard to find anywhere else, and "you know that they’re telling you the truth," she adds.

A part of Leighton Center’s success is not simply that seniors participate in the programs, but that seniors are the programs. Organizing classes, newsletters, and workshops, they are both teachers and students, providers and users. Their dual participation role adds both to their feeling of ownership, and the program’s ability to accomplish so much, often with less resources than would typically be required because of such a talented and plentiful volunteer pool.