Adult day care provides options
Staff writer
Seniors and their families will gain an important resource July 1 when St. Luke Hospital’s adult day care opens, said Heidi Stringer, nurse manager at S. Luke.
“Burnout can happen,” she said. “We’re offering the service as a respite to give somebody a break for a while,” she said.
Staying with a loved one in spite of other commitments is something Stringer knows about firsthand because of her mother, who is blind.
“When my son was playing baseball we would leave town and be an hour away,” she said. “If she fell she’d have to call the ambulance. If she was in adult day care, she probably wouldn’t fall.”
It has become a more relevant topic over time, Stringer said.
“Times are changing,” she said. “The elderly are living at home longer.”
The original start date of June 1 was pushed to the beginning of July to ensure regulations were complied with, Stringer said.
An application should be filled out prior to the visit, which is to be from four to nine hours.
Seniors must be able to walk or move in a self-propelled wheelchair, feed themselves, and have no behavioral issues or risk of leaving the facility unsupervised.
“We’re always open to suggestions if someone did use the service and have a way to make it better,” Stringer said.
Last modified June 20, 2019