A multipurpose senior center is a community facility where older adults can meet with one another to fulfill many of their social, emotional, physical and intellectual needs. It is also a focal point of services for older adults. Senior center programs and activities can help older adults support their independence, enhance their dignity, and encourage their community involvement. Senior centers provide services such as meals, ransportation, health screenings, exercise classes, educational speakers and much more.

More than 8 million older adults participate in the 9,000 senior centers throughout the United States. The senior center is a hub for activities and services for older persons and a visible symbol of a community's concern for its older adults. A senior center has many functions — that's why it is called "multipurpose."

Senior centers provide access to community resources as well as to services and activities that maintain independence and wellness.

Older adults benefit through social interaction with individuals of various ages. They come to senior centers for many different reasons: to meet other people, to participate in specific activities or to obtain services to allow them to retain their independence.