Aims We aim to identify challenges and recommendations for senior centre health services focusing on nurses' roles in an urban South Korean community. Background Senior centres can potentially provide easily accessible and cost‐effective health services to older adults. It is essential to identify current challenges to improve health services. Method This study used an explanatory sequential mixed‐methods design. Quantitative descriptive data were obtained from a survey of all nurses at senior centres in Seoul (n = 30). For the qualitative data, focus group interviews were conducted with various senior centre stakeholders (n = 15). Results Two main themes, discrepancy between services and needs and reform senior centres, were identified with six subthemes. Conclusions Challenges identified included insufficient availability to meet health service needs, overlapping health services, and no legal clarification of nurses' roles. Recommendations to improve the senior centre health services include to focus on the centres' main goals, function as health and welfare hubs, establish legal guidelines, and provide adequate nurse staffing. Implication for Nursing Management The senior centres need to hire more nurses and define nurses' occupational roles legally for the centres to serve as a hub connecting medical care and welfare.

Background This study aimed to identify the current challenges of health services provided by senior centers in South Korea and to determine recommendations for improving service to community-dwelling older adults, focusing on the nurse’s role. Methods Quantitative data were obtained from a survey of 30 nurses at senior centers in Seoul, South Korea. In addition, focus group interviews were conducted with 6 senior center nurses, 5 health experts, and 4 attendees of senior centers (n = 15). Content analysis was performed to analyze the qualitative data. Results The study results revealed several challenges, including insufficient health services; a lack of human resources; non-systematic and overlapping health services; and a lack of legal clarification of nurses’ roles. Our recommendations for improvement are that senior centers should: focus on disease prevention and chronic disease management; be hubs to connect health and welfare services; empower nurse’s role and capacity; and establish legal regulation and adequate staffing for nurses. Conclusions These findings are important for improving the senior centers in playing a key role in contributing to health promotion, disease prevention, and chronic disease management among older individuals in South Korea.