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Little House Activity Center and the Rosener House Adult Care center, two Menlo Park programs that cater to seniors, will be closed as of the end of the day Friday (March 13) for two weeks due to the coronavirus threat, the nonprofit that runs the centers announced this afternoon.
“In an effort to protect the most vulnerable population of our community against the spread of COVID-19 and in conjunction with the city of Menlo Park deciding to close their senior center, we believe it is in the best interest of our participants that we temporarily suspend programming,” the nonprofit Peninsula Volunteers said in a news release signed by Chief Executive Officer Peter Olson.
The closures will go into effect at 5 p.m. tomorrow.
The two centers have served seniors in the area for decades, with the Rosener House providing day care programs for functionally and cognitively impaired adults.
Olson stressed that Peninsula Volunteers will continue to operate its Meals on Wheels program, which delivers meals to home-bound seniors. “Our staff will be taking all normal and additional safety precautions at this time,” his written statement said.
The organization’s Lyft program, which assists seniors with getting to and from medical appointments, will offer modified services during the same period.
The nonprofit stated that no coronavirus cases or symptoms have been reported by participants and staff, but noted that seniors are especially vulnerable to the virus.
Although the current hope is to resume services on March 30, that date “is contingent on the status of the COVID-19 (situation) and the guidance we receive from the CDC (Centers for Disease Control) and San Mateo County’s department of public health,” the news release states.
Find comprehensive coverage on the Midpeninsula’s response to the new coronavirus by the Almanac, Mountain View Voice and Palo Alto Online here.
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Barbara Kalt leads her dog, Maddie, to different seniors through the Rosener House dining room in Menlo Park on June 10, 2019. Photo by Magali Gauthier/The Almanac -
Volunteers and participants in the Rosener House tango study warm up together in a circle before beginning their hour-long weekly dance session at the Menlo Park center on May 29, 2019. Photo by Veronica Weber. -
Carolyn C., left, and volunteer Marlene Hopper, right, share a laugh while dancing tango together at Rosener House which is leading tango lessons for individuals with Alzheimer’s and dementia as part of the “Caravan of Memory,” project to study the effects of music and movement, on May 29, 2019. Photo by Veronica Weber. -
Volunteers and participants in the Rosener House’s new tango lessons project dance together on May 29, 2019. The lessons are part of a new program, “Caravan of Memory,” which is studying the effects of music and memory on individuals with Alzheimer’s and dementia. Photo by Veronica Weber.
Thank you, Peninsula Volunteers, for all of your services and all you do to help local seniors and keep us safe. Thank you for Meals on Wheels during this time. Don’t know what we would do without you right now. Hope that people support the work you do. We need you.