When you think of a Senior Center, you may get an image of a building with frail people, playing bingo all day long, doing puzzles or watching TV. It might create a stereotypical view of people sitting around in wheelchairs, playing cards and going to casinos or eating lunches that may seem similar to what you would find in hospitals or nursing homes.
For many decades, this has been typical of what you would find but times are changing, and we are ready to change with them. So, like most centers across the country, the Cook County Senior Center is beginning the process of reinventing and transforming from the age-old center to more of a multi-generational community and family center.
It is our goal to create a space that is flexible for many different social uses, one that is inviting and welcoming to all ages and one that provides a lunch menu that will draw people in and keep them coming back for more!
We will still serve as a gateway to the seniors from our community – providing and connecting vital community services that can help them stay healthy and independent.
Taking a break from their card game were (from left) Tom Hedstrom, Fred Schmidt, and Renet Pearce. There is hardly a time when there isn’t a card game, or some form of a board game being played at the Senior Center. Staff photo/Brian Larsen
However, what was satisfactory for prior generations isn’t going to be the same moving forward. It is clear that the newly retired older adult today wants more than group dining, recreation, and socialization opportunities and we want to change the initial reservations for the younger senior about coming to the center. We want our building and our services to be relevant for seniors of all ages, but in addition to that, we also want to be utilized by all generations.
In order for that to happen, we need to be future-minded by creating a place that actually draws members of the community in, has an atmosphere that is more modern and one that meets the needs of all multi-generations.
We will move towards that by revamping the inside of the building. Replacing the flooring and furniture, repainting and redecorating. With these changes, we will also be renaming our Senior Center.
Some 60 percent of directors throughout the United States have said they don’t believe the name “senior center” will serve their communities well in the future and we agree. There’s just a negative image or stigma associated with the current name, so we’ve decided to take the word “Senior” out of our center.
The board of directors has tossed around different ideas for a name change that will better suit what the future looks like for our Senior Center and would like to invite input from the community. If you have any ideas and would like to share them, please contact me at cccoa@boreal.org or 218-387-2660.
Although this will be a process and these changes will not happen all at once, they are in the works and are indeed a top priority. Besides the board of directors meetings, we have also formed a subcommittee with the sole purpose of reinventing our building and our future. We are excited for what the future holds for the center and look forward to working with local companies and also to the support of the community as these changes take place.
As always, we welcome any ideas that want to be shared and volunteer services that want to be offered. We are also looking for people to join our board of directors that shares in this new vision and who would like to be a part of making these changes happen.
It will take many involved to create our reinvented future, so if you have the skills or the time, please consider joining us in a way that works for you. For updates or for more information, contact Jes or Bev at 387-2660, subscribe to our newsletter and like us on Facebook.
Cook County has a vibrant and active community of elders. Each week we offer Senior News to highlight our senior citizens. This week’s submission is about the Cook County Senior Center, courtesy of Programs and Services Coordinator Jes Rodne.
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