If we’ve all learned anything from 2020, we are social beings who often don’t cope well with isolation, something so many of our older family members deal with even when there isn’t a pandemic.
But the Naples Senior Center, dedicated to making sure our loved ones don’t feel alone as they age, has gotten the spot for their new building approved. CEO Jaclynn Faffer spoke about how they’re designing the building to make sure, pandemic or not, they can continue to get seniors together.
Before the pandemic, the Naples Senior Center offered aerobics, hot meals and programs to help those battling dementia. While they’ve since closed the physical building, their virtual schedule has been jam-packed.
“Through that process, we’ve really learned, number one, how resilient our seniors are,” Faffer said. “And number two, sadly, how alone they are.”
The center’s been looking for a new home. Last month, Collier County commissioners approved a site at Autumn Oakes Lane and Oakes Boulevard. But the focus right now is outdoor space.