At a class at one of the county’s 50+ centers, residents practice tai chi. This year the county’s Department of Community Resources and Services, which oversees the centers, marks 50 years. Find out more about what they do at an open house. Photo courtesy of Howard County Office on Aging and Independence

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If you have to get older — and we all do — Howard County is a great place to do it. The county’s thriving 50+ centers, classes for people over 55 and other programs are designed to help residents age with dignity and maybe even some fun.

Howard County launched its Department of Community Resources and Services in 1975, along with its Office on Aging. The latter’s priorities were to provide meals and transportation to older residents.

Fifty years later, and now called the Office on Aging and Independence, its track record is so good that last year AARP designated Howard County an “Age-Friendly Community,” one of fewer than 70 across the country.

“We serve people across the lifespan, from our very youngest to our oldest in the community,” said Jacqueline Scott, director of the county’s Department of Community Resources (DCR) and Services, which oversees the Office on Aging and Independence (OAI).

“People often don’t know that we’re here until they need us. And we are in the community in so many different places. We are that agency that walks alongside people to help them create and live their best lives.”

This year the county is celebrating the 50th anniversary of the DCR and OAI with a series of open houses. Scott and her team will be on hand at 50+ centers and county offices to give tours and let people know what’s available to them as county residents.

Help of all kinds

So, what exactly does OAI do for older people? If a neighbor is getting older and can’t get to the grocery store or pharmacy, for instance, the county can provide food and medication.

The county can also help out with utility bills and dental bills, thanks to an emergency fund for older adults. There’s a caregiver
respite program that gives a break to full-time caregivers. In addition, low-income seniors can get help with assisted living costs (although there’s currently a waitlist).

Of course, the most noticeable signs of a robust county aging program are its six 50+ centers, which provide fitness facilities, meals (without charge for people over 60, though voluntary contributions are accepted), classes of all kinds, clubs, craft sessions and other events.

“We aren’t the old, typical senior center,” said Ofelia Ross Ott, OAI administrator. “Each center has its own vibe…We strive to make it a welcoming environment for all people of different cultures and beliefs.”

The first of the county’s centers, named after Florence Bain, the first chairwoman of the Howard County Commission on Aging, opened in Columbia in 1980. Five more followed, built in Elkridge, Ellicott City, Glenwood and North Laurel.

“It’s hugely satisfying when you go into a 50+ center and see the vibrancy of the age range of the people utilizing that center,” Scott said.

“They’re able to come and see their friends or participate in the exercise classes or even just sit by the fire and read a book. It’s the kind of place that they feel connected to, that they can depend on. There’s warmth there, and people know each other by name.”

Loan closet, meals, aid

The county also operates a free loan closet for medical equipment in Columbia as well as a bustling food pantry in Laurel.

“We’re problem solvers. We’re going to help get them to the places they need,” Scott said. Sometimes, she said, “they’re really looking for a place for someone to listen.”

Having someone to talk to is critical. Loneliness, as we know from the U.S. Surgeon General’s advisory in 2023, can be as unhealthy as smoking cigarettes. That’s why the OAI’s mission is to decrease social isolation.

During the pandemic, for instance, it made an all-hands-on-deck effort to make sure older residents got the food, medicine and companionship they needed.

And every holiday season, volunteers shift into elf mode, delivering gift bags to brighten the holidays for 300 older residents.

“We have worked so hard to create an array of services for people and integrate them into all facets of their life here in Howard County,” Scott said. “And the thing that they often talk about is the fact that they can count on this — that we’re there.”

For more information, visit howardcountymd.gov/aging-independence, call (410) 313-1234, or attend an open house on:

June 13 from 11:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. at Elkridge 50+ Center

July 8 from 10 a.m. to noon for a tour of the Loan Closet, 7125 Riverwood Dr.

Aug. 12 from 12:30 to 2:30 p.m. at the headquarters at 9830 Patuxent Woods Dr.

Sept. 23 from 1 p.m. to 3 p.m. at North Laurel 50+ Center

Oct. 8 from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. at Glenwood 50+ Center

Nov. 17 from 1 p.m. to 3 p.m. at the Family Support Center, 9790 Patuxent Woods Dr.