General Information

About DCSL

Founded in 1949 as the Golden Age Society to provide neighborhood clubs for seniors, the agency received its first Older Americans Act grant in 1966 and officially changed its name in 1968 to the Council for Senior Citizens and then again in 2010 to the Durham Center for Senior Life (DCSL).
Today, the Durham Center for Senior Life, which is an independent 501(c)3 non-profit organization, is designated by the State of North Carolina as a Center of Excellence. 
With three senior centers, including the downtown Durham Center for Senior Life, DCSL offers a wide array of programs and services for older adults. 
Services include congregate meals, transportation, adult education, exercise classes, socialization, health promotion, caregiver support services, information referrals, and case assistance. In addition, the DCSL operates the only Adult Day Health Center in Durham.

Key Beliefs

  • Older adults are a growing valuable community resource and will be appreciated and respected.
  • Older adults are entitled to quality services to maintain a healthy and active life. Older adults contribute a wealth of knowledge and skills; we will engage them to share their wisdom and experience.
  • The Durham Center for Senior Life believes in treating everyone fairly, respectfully and with the highest ethical standards.

Mission and Vision

Mission: To enrich the lives of Durham seniors 55+ by promoting healthy, active and independent lifestyles.

Vision:  We will provide a variety of centers and services for adults 55+ in Durham County that focus on the following building blocks for achieving and maintaining a healthy, active, and independent lifestyle:

  • Physical, emotional & spiritual well -being
  • Connection to essential community resources
  • Authentic socialization & engagement
  • Cultural enrichment & ongoing learning

Core Values

  • Leadership: We listen to and learn from our participants and the Durham community. We address service gaps and aim to become the leading resource for senior services in the Durham community.
  • Equity: We advocate for the voices of those who are vulnerable, historically disenfranchised, and underrepresented in order to achieve a more equitable and just society.
  • Inclusiveness: We practice and champion inclusiveness in our community. We welcome and respect diverse strengths, needs, voices, and backgrounds, and we work every day to ensure that all members feel a sense of belonging in our community
  • Responsibility:We have a responsibility to promote community engagement and active lifestyles for seniors in the Durham Community.
  • Service: We provide a welcoming and nurturing experience for all of our members that embodies a spirit of service, humility, and continuous improvement to better the lives of older adults living in Durham.
  • Community: We engage with the Durham community and collaborate with other organizations, initiatives, individuals, to expand our reach, improve our outcomes, and elevate Durham's status as a great place for adults to grow older.
  • Accountability: We serve as stewards for our community investments and honor the charitable intentions of our donors to meet current and future community needs. We hold ourselves to the highest standards of ethics, integrity, service, and fiduciary responsibility.

Programs & Services

Key programs at the Durham Center for Senior Life are:

Social & Senior Center Services

The services at DCSL sites are geared toward our healthy, active, and independent seniors!

Congregate Nutrition

The DCSL Congregate Nutrition Program is intended to promote social, emotional, and physical well-being in older adults age 60 years plus.

Adult Day Health Services

Adult Day Health provides a structured day for adults 18 and older who have difficulty managing on their own because of frailty or the effects of disease.

EATS (Easing Access To food for Seniors)

EATS programs provide opportunities to address food insecurity for seniors 55+. These services include monthly pantry bags and an opportunity to shop at our DCSL store for our EATS: Shop & Grab program.

Options Counseling

Options Counseling provides guidance to individuals as they make informed choices about long-term services and supports. This service helps people think through the pros and cons of the various options while taking into consideration their situation, values, resources and preferences. The Options Counselor can also assist with making an Action Plan for the individual to implement. Options Counseling is available to individuals who are 60 years of age or older or someone acting on behalf of a person age 60 or older.

Locations

The Durham Center for Senior Life Operates Across the City of Durham and Surrounding Areas

DCSL Main Center

Operating Hours: 8:30am-5:00pm, Mon-Fri
Address: 406 Rigsbee Ave. Suite 202 | Durham, NC 27701
Phone #: (919) 688-8247

DCSL at JFK Tower

Operating Hours: 8:30am-1:30pm, Mon-Fri
Address: 4900 N. Roxboro Road  |  Durham, NC 27704
Phone #: (919) 748-1422

DCSL at Little River

Operating Hours: 8:30am-1:30pm, Mon-Fri
(Little River Community Complex, Bahama)
Address: 8305 Roxboro Road | Bahama, NC 27503
Phone #: (919) 477-6066