– Douglas County Commissioners Tim Freeman, Chris Boice and Tom Kress are pleased to continue their series highlighting the wide-array of services provided by departments within Douglas County government. Douglas County has 26 separate departments, plus an additional 19 divisions associated with those departments. For part two of “What Can County Government Do for You?”, the Commissioners want to highlight the vital services available for our most precious residents by featuring our Douglas County Senior Services Department.
Douglas County Senior Services Department operates under the direction of the Douglas County Board of Commissioners, and is managed by our Senior Services Director, Jeanne Wright. This crucial county department and local service agency has been serving our residents, caregivers, families and community since 1975 with the purpose of supporting and enhancing a structure for social, protective and health care services for older Americans living in Douglas County. The primary goal of Douglas County Senior Services is to help seniors enjoy their independence, dignity, choice and quality of life by working together with community partners to facilitate a comprehensive and coordinated system of services for residents who are age 60 and over. Wright is responsible for overseeing all aspects of the department from planning to fiscal management to employee supervision to community partnerships to the implementation of a broad range of health, financial, social, protective and long-term care programs for seniors. She and her staff of 10 work diligently to offer or refer a myriad of services for older persons that increase nutritional and financial wellbeing, encourage independent living, and provide protection from abuse, neglect and exploitation.
“Jeanne and her staff play a pivotal role in ensuring that our most precious residents have access to resources that can help them be as healthy and independent as possible. I am proud to work with these wonderful individuals who embody true compassion, empathy and whom have found their calling in performing this invaluable work,” stated Liaison Commissioner Tom Kress. “They do everything they can to help each client they serve feel valued in their golden years. This work has been and will continue to be one of Douglas County’s highest priorities!”
The Douglas County Senior Services is one of seventeen designated Area Agencies on Aging (AAA) in Oregon, and one of 600 located throughout the United States. AAAs coordinate and offer services that help older adults continue to live independently in their homes, if that is their choice, and aids with services such as home-delivered meals, home health care assistance, and other services that aid in helping them make independent living a viable option. By making a range of supports available, AAAs make it possible for older individuals to choose the services and living arrangements that suit them best.
The most notable of the programs offered by our Douglas County Senior Services Department is our senior nutrition program that includes the operation of our seven senior dining sites. Douglas County Senior Services coordinates our senior meal programs at rural dining sites in Glendale, Glide, Reedsport, Riddle, Sutherlin, Winston and Yoncalla. During the ‘Snowmageddon’ snow storm of February 2019, the Archie Creek Wildfires of September 2020 and the COVID-19 pandemic 2020-22, besides safety, one of the highest county-wide priorities was in keeping all seven of our Senior Dining Sites and Meals on Wheels programs open. When snow blocked access to parking lots, roads and driveways, the Commissioners instructed the Douglas County Public Works and the Douglas County Parks Department employees to clear the way. When our dining site in Glide was briefly closed during the wildfires, volunteers still delivered meals to homebound seniors in the area that had not been evacuated, and other dining sites offered pick-up meals to displaced seniors. When volunteers ran short during the snow storm and the pandemic, the Commissioners reassigned county employees to our dining sites and meal delivery routes. When the pandemic closed indoor in-person dining at our senior dining sites, Douglas County Senior Services quickly developed and implemented a drive-up meal service program. Coming out of the pandemic, Douglas County Senior Services staff and volunteers have been focused on the reopening of our senior dining sites for in-person meals and social programming. As a part of the reopening, they renamed the senior Dining Sites to Bistro Sixty.
“Offering in-person dining three times a week at each of our sites provides the structure for our team to bring in services and access to resources to each local community throughout greater Douglas County,” says Wright. “Our Bistro Sixty sites offer more than just a meal. There’s fellowship and connection, a community within a community for our older residents.”
In addition to the Senior Nutrition Program, Douglas County Senior Services provides programming and access to resources as a part of their plan that addresses new and longstanding senior issues as required under the Older Americans Act of 1965. The Older Americans Act was the first federal level initiative aimed at providing comprehensive services for older adults. It created the National Aging Network comprising the Administration on Aging (AoA) on the federal level, State Units on Aging at the state level, and Area Agencies on Aging at the local level. Douglas County Senior Services develops a comprehensive ‘Plan on Aging’ every four years that is approved by and in accordance with the State Plan on Aging developed by the Oregon Department of Human Services (DHS) Aging and People with Disabilities (APD) Program. The state’s plan is a contract with the AoA, which is under the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Administration for Community Living, and allows Oregon and respective counties to receive funds under the Older Americans Act legislation. Senior services are funded by many sources, including Federal, State, Local and some County General Funds. The department has a history of successfully managing many Federal and State grants and contracts, bringing additional funding into Douglas County while also providing vital needed services to seniors in the community. Douglas County Senior Services offers the following programs and resources:
1. Family Caregiver Support and Respite Care: Educational classes available for Caregivers, including one-onone counseling, support groups, and resource referrals.
2. Aging & Disability Resource Connections (ADRC): Information, assistance, resources and options for services
and programs available through the Senior Services Office, ADRC partners and community, including:
Counseling and referrals for long term care options; Wellness Programs; Educational Programs and the “Oregon
Project Independence” program.
3. Legal Aid Resource and Referral Program: Access to elder rights, legal services and resources including credit
repair, landlord/renter issues, debt management, and guidance on raising grandchildren partner our Legal Aid of
Oregon.
4. Senior Nutrition Program: Seven Bistro Sixty Dining Sites and Meals on Wheels Food Programs for senior
sixty-plus and their spouse. Hot, to-go and delivered meals are provided at dining sites in Glendale, Glide,
Reedsport, Riddle, Sutherlin, Winston and Yoncalla.
5. Community Outreach Programming
6. Collaboration with Community Partners
7. Case Management, support and transitional services
The programs offered by Douglas County Senior Services are successful in-part because of the incredible support from volunteers who serve alongside our Senior Services staff. Volunteers are the life-blood of many of our programs and we could not deliver the services we do without them. Our programs are always looking for new individuals who want to step up and help. Volunteer opportunities are available at all seven of our Bistro Sixty Dining Sites, with considerable need in Reedsport, Winston and Riddle at this time. They are looking for kitchen help, drivers, back up drivers and greeters. Interested individuals 60 and older can also serve as a volunteer member on our Douglas County Senior Advisory Council. The council guides and supports the development and implementation of our Senior Services area plan. Members serve as ambassadors of programs and services provided and assist the Senior Services Department by gathering information on issues affecting older adults in each community.
For more information about Douglas County Senior Services Department or to volunteer contact a member of our Douglas County Senior Services team at (541) 440-3677 or by email
Original source can be found here.
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