The needs of older adults have evolved over the years. Today’s seniors are living longer and staying more active, which means that even our senior community is made up of multiple generations!
As early as 2000, the Senior Citizen’s Council board of directors began planning to meet the needs of the large numbers of baby boomers who would reach the age of 65 between 2011 and 2030 (across the nation, an estimated 10,000 per day, with the number of Americans over 65 expected
to reach 72 million by 2030).
While demand was projected to increase dramatically, federal funding for services remained flat. We needed to plan to serve more people, offer a greater variety of services and activities, and ensure financial sustainability into the future.
With the help of planning grants from the Wyoming Business Council, we analyzed our business operations, programs and services to determine how we must grow to meet increased demand. We gathered information from customers and the community about what was needed to serve older adults and their families in the years to come. We also examined our buildings, looking for ways to better organize available space to improve flow, increase flexibility, and serve more.
Study and planning included input from staff, donors, current customers, and potential customers, as well as experts on facilities design.
In 2004 we expanded Sheridan’s Senior Center, now called The Hub, adding and renovating space for Day Break, Adult Day Services, Family Caregiver offices, dining, and a new transit facility.
In 2014, we launched our Celebrating Generations and Building Community Campaign to expand, renovate and invest in the future of senior facilities and services in Sheridan County. In just two years, we raised $9.7 million to complete five projects:
- A new building for Day Break, which opened in November 2016;
- Expansion of the Goose Creek Transit facility; completed in February 2017
- Expansion and renovation of the senior center, now called The Hub;
- Acquisition of additional space for the Help at Home program, (an ongoing project); and
- Growing the Loving Legacy Endowment to provide for future operating funds and ensure long-term sustainability.