LAKE COUNTY >> The nonprofit adult day program, located in Clearlake, Middletown and Lucerne, is not funded by Medicare. It’s not a health day program. They don’t give out medications and it’s not a place for the extremely ill. But what is offered is a six-hour a day, one to four times a week social day program, promising to provide care and a judgment-free space for seniors who face social isolation due to a dementia-causing illness.
The program provides a person that has mild to moderate memory loss with socialization in a secure environment so that they can be themselves. The program allows its participants or club members as they’re sometimes called, to engage in new and stimulating activities geared towards the individual participant’s needs and enjoyment. Some participants are in the early stages of memory loss, while others have far more progressed conditions.
For a minimum of 30 minutes every day, participants follow along with chair and stretching exercises. They partake in table games and enjoy singing to help strengthen their lungs. Each morning is filled with light snacks, fresh fruit, hot chocolate and tea, while a full meal is served at lunch time.
The directors care deeply about making the program as much of a social time as possible, bringing in a great deal of outside entertainment. Singers, guitar players and a line dancing group perform each week. It’s an operation with fully committed staff and volunteers joining in an effort to improve the lives of the participants.
But Elder Day Services does more than just provide care for seniors; the program gives support and respite to stressed caregivers. They can enroll their loved ones in the program, which gives them free time to tend to those activities that their jobs don’t leave much room for, such as visiting friends, cleaning house or simply doing some laundry. Caregivers also need to have opportunities to be able to talk to each other and share ideas on how to cope and manage their situation.
Redwood Caregiver Resource Center sponsors four support groups a month. These support groups are welcoming and open to caregivers involved in the day programs as well as those caregivers in the community who may need information or an opportunity to talk with others who are experiencing similar difficulties.
Elder Day Services owes much of its success to the volunteers who take time out of their days to help provide the care and companionship that the program participants need.
The programs ask for a donation of $35 per day, but no one is turned away due to an inability to pay. The program holds fundraisers, and scholarships are available for those who feel Elder Day Services poses too much of a financial cost. The program itself also benefits from grant money to offset some expenses.
For more information the contact for Clearlake and Middletown is Jenny Johnson, director, at (707) 350-3030 and jennyjohnson@konocti.net. Contact for the north lake is Caroline Denny, director, at (707) 263-9481 and theden@pacific.net
