Chinese Golden Age Center

The Greater Boston Chinese Golden Age Center is a nonprofit that has served Asian elders, particularly Chinese-speaking seniors, since 1972. It advocates on their behalf and runs a network of programs meant to help elders live well in their communities. Services include adult day health care for frail elders and disabled adults, an elderly nutrition program, social services and outreach, health insurance counseling through the SHINE program and senior employment training.

Hot Chinese-style meals are served at the center’s three sites and delivered to homebound clients, typically with a meat or vegetarian entree, cooked vegetables, rice, fresh fruit and low-fat milk. Education and wellness activities include citizenship assistance, ESL classes, health talks, exercise and dance classes, and the Boston Neighbor WALK. The agency also runs evidence-based programs such as Dementia Friends, Healthy IDEAS for Asian Seniors and Smoke Free for Healthy Living.

What to Know

• Sites include Quincy Tower, Hong Lok House and Brighton House, which began operating in 1985 to serve Chinese-speaking elders in Allston-Brighton.
• Hong Lok House, a 28-unit HUD-funded elderly housing development sponsored by the center, opened in Chinatown in 1982.
• The center has outreach sites at senior centers and councils on aging in Quincy, Malden, Cambridge and Brookline.
• It has collaborated on research about Asian elders with Harvard Medical School, Brandeis, Wellesley College and Boston University.
• The center runs a transportation division.