Council on Aging buys Bend’s Community Center
The Council on Aging of Central Oregon announced Monday its acquisition of Bend’s Community Center, located at 1036 NE 5th Street, a full-circle return of sorts to the site of Bend’s earlier senior center.
At 8,750 square feet, the new site has five times the interior space than the council’s current location at 373 NE Greenwood Avenue, officials said. The additional space will accommodate service delivery, staff offices and more parking. Terms of the purchase were not disclosed.
“Following extensive renovation, the new building will allow the Council on Aging to better meet the increased demand for support services for older adults in the tri-county area,” the grou’s announcement said.
According to the U.S. Census Bureau, Central Oregon’s population of adults aged 65 and older increased 58 percent between 2010 and 2016, nearly twice the growth rate of all of Oregon (29 percent) during the same period.
“This dramatic increase in the older adult population is straining the Council on Aging’s current capacity to scale and introduce services and to accommodate increasing staff,” the organization said.
“Aging well at home, with independence, safety, and dignity, can present huge physical and financial challenges,” says Susan Rotella, executive director at the Council on Aging. “Navigating those challenges, especially should age-related changes occur suddenly, can be overwhelming.
“The new site will allow us to provide the one-stop starting point for all aging related resources and support. That includes nutrition programs; information and referral to critical services; options counseling; assistance with Medicare enrollment and benefits; in-home care; transportation; and caregiver programs such as respite and group support,” Rotella added.
Because the new building has a full-sized commercial kitchen, the Council on Aging will manage Bend-based Meals on Wheels and congregate meal programs in their new home.
“Nutrition programs are critical to making sure seniors who face health problems, mobility issues, food scarcity, or social isolation are fed and checked on,” Rotella said.
“For nearly 10 years, the Council on Aging partnered with us on programs that fed thousands of older and vulnerable adults,” said Bend’s Community Center Board President Lindsay Greco. “We’re thrilled to know that the Council on Aging will succeed us at this site and continue to serve the Bend community so well.”
The Council on Aging anticipates an early 2019 move into the newly renovated space. A Facebook page is being established where interested people can track the progress of the renovation.
The Bend Senior Center and senior meals program originally was located in the same brick facility off Greenwood Avenue, operated by the United Senior Citizens of Bend, before it moved to a new location on Reed Market Road built by the Bend Park and Recreation District. That facility also is planning a major expansion and renaming as the Larkspur Center, to offer more programs and services.
Bend’s Community Center, which offered community and senior meals and a day care, closed a month ago after struggles with raising adequate funding. It had been in operations for 18 years, and had faced similar dire straits and a threat of closure six years ago, but managed to restructure and continue reduced operations.
