Tuesday, August 17, 2010

'Adult Day Care a Vital Family Service'

Bingo Day at the Glenner Center in Encinitas

North County Times columnist Agnes Herman last week featured the Glenner Alzheimer's Family Centers in an article about the importance of adult day health care for families in San Diego County. Ms. Herman interviewed three adult day care professionals, including Glenner's Sheila Meyer, who manages our Encinitas Center located within the Silverado campus on Saxony Road.

The column does a great job of explaining the role of adult day care centers for those trying to support families while also caring for the elderly ill in their home. These centers allow caregivers to continue to work while knowing their loved one is in good hands.

The all-encompassing care that these centers and others like them offer cannot always be duplicated at home. The [non-profit] Glenner Centers provide meals from Meals-on-Wheels; that is possible at home. But they have much more: consistent care, oversight and activities by professionals, to keep the elder generation active, interested, entertained as well as challenged within each one's abilities.

The piece also stresses the funding threat facing all adult day health care centers throughout California due to state budget cuts. The columnist notes that if the budget ax falls, federal funding also is jeapordized since California may then violate the Americans with Disabilities Act. "The loss of adult day health care will affect more than the individuals and families who enjoy the security the service provides. The economy will change again for those families where one bread-winner now has to stay home."

Article: Adult Day Care is a Vital Family Service