Seniors

We look forward to bringing you news about the Senior Center, the Senior Living Initiative, and the Chelan Valley Community Nurse Program!

Chelan Senior Center

Activities, programs and community for the young at heart! The Chelan Senior Center was incorporated in 1973 as the Lake Chelan Senior Social Club. The original house was built around 1920 and purchased by the Chelan Social Club in 1973 to set up their quilting frames, make their quilts and socializing. From the proceeds of quilt sales and donations, the house was paid off in 1975. It was at that time the Social Club offered their building as a meal site for Senior Meals. The house was expanded later to accommodate the growing club. The Social Clubs first officers were Harley R. Coates, L.L. McCormick, Bertha Weeks and Leona Yetter. The Center’s name was changed from the Chelan Social Club to the Chelan Senior Center in 2004.

Being the “Old House” was over 100 years old, in 2007 the Center members began pursuit of a new building. Through grants, funding from the City of Chelan, local business support, donations and many, many volunteer hours, the current new building was opened in 2010.

The Center is a 3,200 square foot building that hosts Senior Meals, exercise classes, Wii bowling and other events throughout the year. The facility is also available for private rental. The Chelan Senior Center is a self supported, non-profit organization.

For more information about the Chelan Senior Center please call 509-683-2712.  For information about the lunch program call 509-888-4440.

Chelan Station Re-Runs

A 2nd hand store to benefit the Chelan Senior Center, located at Chelan Station in Chelan Falls on Highway 150. Traveling from Chelan, the store can be found on the left at the railroad tracks​​.

​HOURS: Thursday – Saturday 10 – 5 and Sunday 11 – 4; 509-682-9808

Senior Living Initiative

The Senior Living Initiative (SLI) is a grassroots effort that is building a pathway of senior living and care in the Lake Chelan Valley. The Lake Chelan Health & Wellness Foundation supports both of these efforts.

There are two major SLI efforts currently underway:

Tender Loving Care For Seniors (TLC)

Tender Loving Care for Seniors (TLC) nonprofit program assist vulnerable seniors in our community to stay in their homes as long as safely possible.

Volunteers are specially trained to offer non-medical visits including:

  • Companionship, visiting seniors and providing friendship and social contact.
  • Connection with food resources, transportation, exercise classes and needed services.
  • Transportation to appointments or social outings.
  • Support for caregivers to give them relief and much needed breaks.

TLC works closely with Chelan Valley Community Nurse, Health Homes Nurse Coordinator, Chelan Valley Hope and others.  During our first five year (2017-2022) we provided 5242 visits to 149 seniors/families.  Visits average 1.8 hours equating to 9665 hours by (now) 35 volunteers.  We have 49 active clients and 16 new volunteers the last two year.  We provided 70,528 miles of transportation and $3000 in unmet need support.

In 2022 we began a new program called The Gathering – a 4-hour monthly event at NSBC with games, crafts, singing, lunch and fellowship for clients with mild/moderate dementia.  They love it and caregivers get a needed break!

Client/volunteer relationships are making a difference: one client’s clinical “depression score” went from severe daily symptoms to normal range, while another client is getting help with computer and motorcycle issues with a new friend.

All client visits and client information is held confidentially.

For more information, contact tlcprogram4@gmail.com or 509-687-3377               Sandy Zimchek, Coordinator 509-699-9042; Claudia Swenson, Manager 360-561-6090
Chelan Valley Hope, P O Box 635, 417 S. Bradley Street, Chelan, WA 98816 sponsors this program.

Chelan Valley Community Nurse Program

The mission of Chelan Valley Community Nurse (CVCN) Program is to provide support to the elderly, frail, and vulnerable seniors allowing them to stay safely in their homes for as long as they desire and is reasonable.

We provide the following assistance:

  • Medication education and reconciliation and set up weekly or monthly medicine boxes to ensure meds are taken according to MD orders
  • In-home assessments for chronic disease management and education
  • Help with healthcare and insurance navigation
  • Referrals for clients and families getting their social and medical needs met
  • Weekly or monthly home visits according to client needs

The Chelan Valley Community Nurse (CVCN) Program provides nurses to do home visits to help problem solve issues as there are changes in function at home, to assist with understanding and managing medications, to help translate doctor orders into everyday living, to educate about new and old diagnoses and living with chronic disease, and to refer to other services as needed. There is no attempt to duplicate services a client is eligible for elsewhere. The nurse has also been offering blood pressure screening clinics and has been submitting newsletter articles on pertinent health issues to congregations and groups in the community. The Lake Chelan Health and Wellness Foundation generously donated $1200 to the program to boost the number of blood pressure screening clinics in the past.

To provide this type of safety net, collaboration with other service providers in the area is essential. The nurse currently actively collaborates with Lake Chelan Health, Columbia Valley Community Health, Confluence Health, Chelan Valley Hope, Tender Loving Care for Seniors, Chelan and Manson Senior Meals programs, the Chelan Senior Center, DSHS Health Homes Program, Area Aging and Adult Care and numerous community service groups and congregations.

In 2022, CVCN saw 55 clients and assisted 100 family members/caregivers, touching 155 lives. Nurses helped over 240 people with care issues via phone contact, assisted over 40 people with finding caregiver support and over 90 people with understanding and navigating the healthcare system.  There were 6 blood pressure screenings and nurse consultations at area churches and outreach to Spanish language congregations, the Food Bank, local packing sheds and booths at Farmers Markets.  They also held blood pressure screenings at the Senior Center and provided help with masks and Covid 19 test kits among many other services within our community.

For more information, call 509-679-9059.
Lake Chelan Lutheran Church sponsors this program