Adult Care Brightens Golden Years
Article written by Barb Ceruti, Grace United Methodist Church
Some weeks ago, Grace Parish Nurse Pam Riley and the Grace Church Foundation led members of our congregation in a “Five Wishes” workshop that detailed how to identify and make known our wishes at the time of life’s end. But as people are living longer and, particularly, as the Baby Boomers are coming into retirement age, the need for a plan before the end of life and after the decline of self-sufficiency has grown dramatically. Statistics show that by the year 2016, the demand for adult day care will have increased a whopping 74 percent. Looming ever larger for aging adults and their loved ones is the question of where and how the “Golden Years” will be spent.
Lynn Schopler and Nancy Olenski of Golden Elders Adult Day Care take that question to heart—and home. Last year, Lynn opened her Naperville home to elderly people in need of non-medical care in a safe, intimate environment. “My mother had Alzheimer’s Disease; I’m doing this in honor of my mom and dad,” said Lynn, who saw first-hand the devastating effects of memory loss and disease on the elderly. Nancy, a long-time Grace member and former aide to autistic children, was happy to join her friend Lynn in this venture in aging with comfort and dignity. “My vision for Golden Elders is to have an extended family,” said Lynn, whose in-home service can accommodate up to six clients at a time. Currently, her clients range in age from 57-94, and all are experiencing some degree of memory loss. “It can be a real challenge; people don’t want to leave their own place, their own couch, but being here reminds them of home.”
While routine is comforting to frail or memory impaired adults, flexibility is also key. “Wherever our clients are, we are,” said Lynn, a College of DuPage psychology instructor and counselor whose experience helps her relate to her clients, no matter their stage of cognitive or behavioral function. “We try to cater to the individual interests and ability level of each person,” added Nancy, who, along with Lynn, engages her charges in a multitude of activities each day, from outdoor walks and local field trips to memory enhancement games and trivia, arts and entertainment, computer usage, pet therapy, or anything else they are interested in doing. “I have a client who likes to bake,” said Nancy, “so we bake.” Recognizing that seniors are accustomed to being productive and helpful, Nancy and Lynn also involve their clients in crafting items suitable for sale, with proceeds benefiting charities such as the Make-a-Wish Foundation.
As average life expectancy continues to grow, so does the demand for quality alternatives to traditional nursing facilities. While it may be difficult to decide upon—or even contemplate—the need for adult care, healthy, happy options pave the way for a smooth life transition.