Adult Day Health Services gives caregivers a break
BUTLER TWP — Mom and Dad cared for you for 18 years, so moving them to a nursing home when the going gets tough seems unfair. But day-in, day-out care for a senior citizen in the home can prove exhausting.
Lifesteps Adult Day Health Services is solving that dilemma for more than two dozen families in the Butler area.
Michael Gathje, chief program officer at Lifesteps, said 24 adults aged 60 or older are welcomed to the adult day health facility each weekday between 7 a.m. and 6 p.m.
There, they are cared for by trained professionals while their adult children work or enjoy a respite, Gathje said.
“They want to know the person can be safe and engaged in productive and meaningful activities during the course of the day,” Gathje said. “It's an alternative to a 24-hour nursing care facility.”
The senior citizens now using the adult day health facility vary in ability, with some requiring help with daily tasks like using the bathroom or eating while others are relatively independent, Gathje said.
The day begins with an hour of socialization and the completion of any individual care that is required, followed by an exercise or activity led by the nursing staff.
“It might be something as simple as chair calisthenics,” Gathje said. “It's something that gets them moving and is safe.”
The seniors then participate in a craft or game that focuses on improving memory, followed by a leisurely hot lunch that does not rush the seniors.
The program's registered nurse, who is always on hand to monitor medication and other medical needs, checks each senior and records vital signs as necessary.
The afternoon activity, Gathje said, can range from a singer or magician performing for the seniors to the students from the Butler County Vocational-Technical School coming in to give haircuts.
One special activity is a visit by the youngsters who attend day care at Lifesteps.
The children and seniors read or make a craft together.
“The kids are naturally attracted to the elderly,” Gathje said. “They associate them with kindness, so they really just kind of gravitate toward the seniors.”
The staff at the day health facility also take advantage of pleasant weather when they can.
“It it's a nice day, they go outside to enjoy the sunshine and nice weather,” he said.Family members then retrieve their loved one and take them home for the evening.“This service can prevent or delay nursing home transitions for families, and is a low-cost alternative to nursing home care,” Gathje said.The seniors attend the day health program at Lifesteps on various days each week according to their family's needs.“It's not the same 24 people every day,” Gathje said. “The individuals vary daily.”He said a certain percentage of the seniors have some type of dementia diagnosis, so the memory activities and exercises incorporated into each day's structure can help those individuals, Gathje said.“If there is a deterioration in (physical or mental) health and the family is having problems, we also work with that family to ensure a smooth nursing home transition,” he said.Regarding expense, Gathje said some families pay for the service out of pocket, some qualify for Medicare and others receive support through the county's Area Agency on Aging.“It depends on individual circumstances,” Gathje said.Those interested in the program can make an appointment to tour the facility or even place their loved one there for an afternoon to determine if the program is a good fit for the individual.Gathje explained that the day health program, which has been in existence at Lifesteps and the former Easter Seals since 1988, complements the mission of the organization, which is helping families to maintain their connection and supporting them in doing so.“We're very proud of the program and the staff as well,” he said.
