Press Release
Nassau County Council on Aging
Melanie Ferreira
Communications and Marketing Manager
April 6, 2016 10:29 a.m.
With great anticipation and excitement, the Nassau County Council on Aging (NCCOA) is pleased to announce the nonprofit will soon acquire a new building offering much needed space for the organization and, more importantly, the Nassau County senior citizens it has been serving since 1973.
The 25,752 square foot building, located at 1901 Island Walkway, will provide areas for exercise & fitness, wellness programs, arts & crafts, educational programs and presentations as well as large gathering spaces for senior citizens to enjoy a daily hot meal, socialization and the companionship of others.
“Our Board of Directors and advisors have identified the need to transition to a new senior community center as soon as possible,” said NCCOA Executive Director Janice Ancrum. “While we are grateful to Baptist Medical Center Nassau for allowing us continued use of our current facility, space there is no longer adequate and is limiting the level of programs and services we can offer our seniors.”
The building, to be known as The Senior Life Center, will provide the NCCOA with resources to accommodate continued demand for its services. Residents age 60 and older comprise 24 percent of the population of Nassau County. That figure is expected to rise to 30 percent in the near future with the number ofthose age 75 and older increasing from 6.7 percent to 14.7 percent.
In addition, demand for the NCCOA’s Adult Day HealthvCare (ADHC) program for those with dementia – the only such program in Nassau County — has risen dramatically in the past few years. “In our current location, we have reached capacity with 15 seniors in ADHC each day.” Ancrum said. “This program is the only one locally that offers respite to caregivers so they can work, run errands or just have time to themselves, knowing their loved one is safe and well cared for. We desperately need to expand so we can at least double the number of these especially vulnerable seniors who need our care,” she added.
The NCCOA anticipates closing on the new facility soon, embarking on the last phase ofthe capital campaign, Building for Our Future, which will raise funds needed to purchase and move into the new building. Raydient Places+Properties, the real estate services company that advises Rayonier, Inc., on the properties it has forsale, leases the building and will continue to do so until they move to their new headquarters in Yulee at the new WildLight Development.
An open house coordinated by NCCOA will take place later this month at the new location.
For additional information or to make a donation to the NCCOA for the Building for Our Future Campaign,contact Executive Director Janice Ancrum at 904.261.0701, or visit www.nassaucountycoa.org.
Congrats to Janice and Steve Sell on finding a “solution”, very exciting that our partners at COA now have a new space to call home. Thank you to all who work to make this a reality for our seniors!