Outstanding Adult Day Center Awards

• House of Welcome Adult Day Services of the North Shore Senior Center
• Grace Adult Day Services-Chippewa Falls

This award recognizes outstanding and innovative adult day centers.  The day center is recognized as a model on which others can learn from as "best practice."

House of Welcome Adult Day Services of the North Shore Senior Center
Northfield, IL

In 1983 the House of Welcome (HOW) was one of the first Adult Day Service programs in the nation, and the very first in the Chicago area, to provide services for memory loss patients only. Nationally recognized for its service to seniors and their families, North Shore Senior Center created a unique program tailored to individual and family needs in a comforting homelike setting.

HOW's adult day services programs support quality of life for individuals with Alzheimer's disease and other dementias. Additionally, HOW provides family members and caregivers respite, support and counseling. HOW is constantly improving its services, responding to families' needs, and addressing the challenges that the journey of dementia brings.

Its goal is to give every family, regardless of income, the opportunity to benefit from the comfort, care and connection that House of Welcome brings. Fees for service do not cover actual costs; however, commitment remains to turning no one away because of cost. Participants' fees are subsidized, and many are extended significant scholarships based on economic need.

HOW programs engage participants in small group settings, with individual activity plans constructed for each person based on his or her life experiences. HOW's successful combination of therapeutic activities, 1:1 counseling, group socialization, and comprehensive support services have proven effective in achieving beneficial results in both memory loss patients and their caregivers.

From arts and exercise to animated discussions of legal cases and current events, the House of Welcome encourages participants to remain active and comfortable with their abilities. They remain involved with the community; this month their art work is being displayed at the public library, and it has been used to illustrate note cards and calendars for sale at the Center.

HOW's support group programs were co-developed with the assistance of Senior Fellows from the Gerontological Society of America and received immediate acceptance from the community. Support group services continue today in affiliation with the Alzheimer's Association-Greater Chicagoland Chapter. HOW also publishes an Alzheimer's Caregiver Manual and offers community education and in-service training. 

The House of Welcome has gained the respect of the professional community. The program is actively involved with research studies with various medical and academic institutions, continues to guide new adult day service programs, and remains committed to providing compassionate personal care based on current clinical research.

In 2009, CARF Accreditation was again awarded to HOW for its adult day services. The recognition acknowledges North Shore Senior Center as a leader in the field of aging. The organization was commended for its outstanding delivery of services to individuals with dementia and their families. Caregivers and outside resources have only the ultimate praise for HOW, caregivers stating that this program is critical in their lives and to their well-being. The commitment and dedication of HOW staff and volunteers are evident within the environment of each day's delivery of services. The caring environment provides a positive, enjoyable experience every day to all individuals attending the program.

Exemplary conformance to the CARF standards was demonstrated and HOW was commended for developing and implementing the "Mind Matters" program. This weekly group program for persons with early memory loss was launched in 2007. It is based on a template using a grant awarded by the Brookdale Foundation. The program was established to meet an underserved population, persons with early memory loss. Mind Matters creates more awareness, opportunities for earlier diagnosis, and research that builds upon social interaction, physical exercise, and cognitive menus of HOW services.

—Written by Loryn Kogan

Grace Adult Day Services-Chippewa Falls
Eau Claire, WI

Barry Metza loves his "job." Most days, this client of Grace Adult Day Services-Chippewa Falls is likely to be found greeting visitors, organizing recyclables, pouring coffee, or generally helping out around the center. As part of Barry's individualized care plan, small tasks have made a big difference. 

"He's found his niche," says Helen Metza of her 42-year-old autistic son, who has faced emotional and cognitive challenges all his life. "He feels so important because he's helping all these people."  She said that despite Barry's sensitivities, the arrangement at Grace Adult Day Services-Chippewa Falls is successful because "they've adapted to him."

Adapting and personalizing each care plan is important to Director Beth Peterson, recently recognized by the National Adult Day Services Association for her "innovative, creative programming," which engages clients in meaningful activities and relationships. According to Peterson, the 45 seniors and/or disabled adults participating in this program have uncustomary freedom of choice. "They can have a 'say so' in what their day is going to look like," she said. "We do things that are unique, allowing opportunities for self exploration, vocational interests, relaxation, and overall growth as a person."

Activities at the center are based on creative themes generated by Peterson and her staff. Each week, a new theme like "Astronomy," "Drama 101," "Wild, Wild West," "Ocean Life—Under the Sea," "Grace's Believe It or Not," or "Fables and Folklore" provides another opportunity for guest speakers, hands-on demonstrations, and just about anything the adult day services staff can think of to bring the topic to life, including community involvement. Last summer, representatives from the Chippewa Falls Police Department, Chippewa Falls Fire and Emergency Department, and Chippewa County Sheriff's Department were invited to come in and judge a pie baking contest at the facility. In November of 2008, the community was welcomed to a play performance by the Grace Ability Troupe, the center's client theatrical group. The community was invited once again last December to enjoy a live Nativity scene portrayed by clients—yet another demonstration of the "unlimited creative things we can do," said Peterson.

In this care setting that fosters creativity, individuality, and personal development, there is one common thread woven throughout. "Everyone deserves to be treated with dignity and respect. It's the number one concern that we have," Peterson said.  She credits the Foundation's "progressive, forward-thinking" administration for facilitating the development of this program, and adds that she is continually self-driven to improve it. "It's important to take situations and ask ourselves, 'What can we do to make this better?'" The answer, she reflects, is to "make each day at the center a meaningful one."

—Written by Michelle Underwood