With the growing number of aged people in the U.S., there will be an increasing need for nursing homes that provide skilled nursing care, long-term care, rehabilitative care and hospice care. But what about the independent elderly who are still able to get around?
A new approach for dealing with this expanding population is the Adult Day Care Program at the Schuyler Ridge Residential Health Care Center in Clifton Park, part of the Seton Health network. The goal of the program is to maintain the independence and dignity of clients. The staff focuses on the capabilities of the people they serve rather than on their limitations.
The program, for adults 50 and over who are in need of supervision and health services during the day, operates Monday through Friday, 7:30 a.m.-5 p.m. Transportation to and from Schuyler Ridge is available.
Much to do
Marge Wilson, who lives in the Woodland Village Residential Home in Troy and has been coming to the program at Schuyler Ridge four days a week for two years, says: "The staff is nice. They really care about you."
She arrives by van at around nine in the morning and usually stays till two. "We always have coffee and doughnuts in the morning," she said, "and then they read us the entire paper from front to back. Some days, the staff plays 'Wheel of Fortune' with us or Bingo or a word game."
She enjoys the great food at Schuyler Ridge and the holiday parties. "I enjoy being with the people here. Some of them come from residential homes like me and some live alone or with their families, but stop in for the day."
Marge also enjoys the guest speakers, such as an historian who spoke about the lives of the first ladies.
"Every day is different," she said. "Some days, they take us on a ride around Saratoga Lake; other days, they'll bring us to K-Mart to go shopping. John Blake visits often and plays the organ, and the Senior Citizen Dancers visit. I also like how clean the building is."
Supportive
Ann Fiore of Clifton Park, who brings her husband to the day care program, says, "I like the facility, and my husband, who suffers from Alzheimer's Disease, is always happy there."
Mrs. Fiore also admits that the program is as good for her as it is for her husband.
"The staff has given me a lot of support," she explained. "This disease is very difficult because it takes away the person that you once knew and loved. My husband is very mobile and can't be left alone. I can bring him there two days a week and know he's being taken good care of. It also gives him a different stimulus than what he gets every day at home with me."
(Schuyler Ridge has a single-story design that allows residents to easily travel around on their own, even if they're using a walker or wheelchair. There is also a newly built chapel for meditation and prayer. For more information or to arrange a tour, call 371-1400.)