The Center at The Heights, a department of the Town of Needham, is dedicated to serving seniors and assisting their families and friends with aging issues. In cooperation with other organizations, The Center at The Heights serves both elders who are well and those with some degree of frailty. Our professional and office staff, both paid and volunteer, are at your service at the Stephen Palmer Senior Center. We welcome your questions and suggestions.
The Center at The Heights
300 Hillside Avenue
Needham, MA 02494
needhamma.gov
(781) 455-7555
fax (781) 444-1392
Drop-In Center: The Center at The Heights is a good place for people to join a friend for coffee, make new friends, or attend one of the many ongoing programs or activities. You can also usually find a quiet spot to read a good book from our library or the daily and weekly newspapers.
Weekdays 9:00 a.m. - 4:00 p.m.
Information & Referral: The Center at The Heights staff provides information on transportation services, homemaker services, housing, medical insurance including Medicare and Medicaid, financial assistance programs, how to make the most of retirement, volunteer opportunities, and many other aging related subjects. In addition, the staff of The Center at The Heights works with local, state and federal agencies to bring you accurate, useful and up-to-date information.
Outreach & Counseling: The Center at The Heights staff includes a full time professional outreach worker who is available to elders and their families for support, counseling and information concerning the many and varied issues facing elders.
Transportation: The Center at The Heights provides rides at no cost between your home and the Center.
The Center at The Heights Shopper Bus, sponsored by Roche Bros., takes seniors grocery shopping on Wednesday mornings. The Community Council offers van transportation for errands on Tuesdays and Fridays. There are other specialized services for those unable to use the above listed means of transportation. Call The Center at The Heights at 455-7555 for details on all transportation.
Informational Programs: Information of special interest to elders is available at The Center at The Heights. There are lectures, fliers and pamphlets that address topics related to legal matters, consumer issues, health and medical information, etc. Many of these programs and informational materials are provided by community agency professionals from Beth Israel Deaconess Hospital, Massachusetts Executive Office of Elder Affairs, Boston College Legal Assistance Bureau, and West Suburban Elder Services, Inc., among others.
The Center at The Heights maintains video and audio tapes of presentations that may be borrowed for home viewing. Town officials, Needham department heads and our state legislators visit the Center regularly to report to seniors and to listen to concerns and answer questions.
Lunch: A noontime meal is served at The Center at The Heights at 12:00 p.m. Monday through Friday. Reservations for weekday meal must be made by 11 a.m of the previous day or register in person with the dining staff. A donation of $2.00 for all meals is requested to help defray the cost. To make a reservation call 455-7555, extension 203. This service is provided by Springwell, Inc.
Health Insurance Information:
Health insurance policies and claim procedures may be confusing to many, but not to our well trained SHINE (Serving the Health Information Needs of Elders) volunteers. They can help you understand what policies are available, the benefits of each, and how to claim benefits. They also are excellent at straightening out claim problems. There is no charge for this service.
Wellness Programs: Keep Well Clinics are held twice a month at The Center at The Heights. At this individualized health screening offered by the Visiting Nurse Associates Care Plus, Inc. (VNA) blood pressure is taken and health concerns can be discussed. Exercise classes and a walking group, sponsored by the Park & Recreation Department meet regularly to help keep you fit.
Monthly Newsletter: The Needham "Senior Compass," our monthly newsletter, is the "who, what, when and why" of events scheduled at The Center at The Heights that are of interest to Needham seniors and their families. The newsletter is underwritten (printed and mailed) by the Friends of Needham Elderly, Inc.
Tax Preparation: In cooperation with the American Association of Retired Persons (AARP) and the Internal Revenue Service (IRS), federal and state income tax preparation assistance is provided by appointment with trained volunteers.
Volunteer Opportunities: Volunteers fill a variety of positions at The Center at The Heights. They lead groups, provide office support including utilizing computer skills, offer hospitality, transport elders and undertake special projects. There are also many other ways they help at the Center. If you would like to volunteer or have special skills or interests to share, please give us a call.
Library Books & Newspapers:
The Center library’s regular size and large print books can be read at the Center or borrowed to be read at home. Books include the classics as well as current titles from the Needham Free Public Library. Also available are daily and weekly newspapers from Needham and Boston to be read at the Center.
Recreation: There are many different kinds of recreational activities at the Senior Center. Drop-in card games and bridge, cribbage, mahjong and scrabble are popular. Movies are shown on most Fridays. Day trips to various places throughout New England are offered regularly. In addition, there is ping pong, pool, horseshoes and shuffle board as well as pool, bridge and golf tournaments sponsored by the Park and Recreation Department.
Cooperating Organizations
