East Central adult day care offers games, programs
Mary Hagy can hardly wait until Monday comes.
That’s when the 80-year-old former elementary school library aide gets to meet up with new and old friends at a unique adult day-care center that opened at the East Central Community Center in January.
It’s a place where she and other senior citizens who need a little help to be able to participate can spend time socializing and taking part in a variety of activities – from exercise to education, pampering to parties – four hours a day (10 a.m. to 2 p.m.), five days a week, in a supervised environment that Hagy describes as “wonderful.”
What makes the experience unique is that it is the only adult day-care center in Spokane County funded through Aging and Long Term Care of Eastern Washington via the Senior Citizens Services Act.
There are eligibility criteria, but for most of the participants, it’s free. Plus, free transportation is provided for people living within the 99202 ZIP code area, and free para-transit passes are given to those from outside that ZIP code area.
“What we have is an enhanced senior center offering special support for those people who otherwise could not participate in a regular senior center,” said Kathy Armstrong, program director at the East Central Community Center’s Senior Center and Adult Day Care Center. “Perhaps they need some assistance with mobility or greater cognitive stimulation, help with bathroom functions, or maybe they have early dementia.”
The 10 participants (there’s room for 20 in the program) mingle with regular senior center attendees at the East Central Community Center, so there’s usually 50 to 60 senior citizens to visit and interact with on any given day, all benefiting from live music performances, doing volunteer work themselves and learning a number of skills designed to improve their quality of life.
People needing skilled-nursing services or physical or occupational therapy on site or who have advanced dementia are not eligible to participate but might wish to check with adult day health services, such as Holy Family’s Adult Health Program on Spokane’s North Side, Armstrong said.
At East Central’s Adult Day Care Center, there is one assistant to Armstrong and two aides to provide support, along with two individuals from the American Association of Retired People’s Senior Employment Services.
George Brower, contract specialist with Aging and Long Term Care of Eastern Washington, said his agency is very pleased with the facility and the program, which “was more successful getting off the ground than we expected.”
There’s a published monthly schedule of exercise classes and supervised walking, grief support, crafts, shopping trips, foot care, routine health care, lunch, games, parties and – a favorite of the women, Armstrong said – once-a-week pampering, which consists of manicures and hand care. Often, pen pals from the Libby Center come to visit and play board games and cards with the senior citizens.
“Oh, for me, I like just getting out and mixing with other people,” said participant Joan Berner, 73. “There are such nice people to talk to.”
“There is a tremendous need for socialization and recreation opportunities for seniors, especially for those who need some extra help,” Armstrong said. “Many of the elderly become isolated and lose ground physically and mentally. We see every day that our seniors are happier in their outlook and less confused when they have this kind of stimulation and interaction with other people.
“This time with us also provides a break for family members who are caring for their aging parents,” Armstrong said.
It’s the respect she receives that appeals to participant Virginia Haglund, 87. “I’ve been an independent cuss all my life,” she said. “I like to be treated like an adult. Even though I’ve reached a certain age, it’s not like my brain has fallen out. I’m treated like an adult here.”
What Mary Hagy, Joan Berner and Virginia Haglund all credit is the person who sets the tone and makes everything run well and with high spirit – the director, Kathy Armstrong, the former high school teacher from central Idaho, now a recreation specialist with the city of Spokane.
Armstrong can hardly make her way through the large room without being stopped several times to share a joke, a smile or a hug. Said Armstrong, “I really like working with seniors.” It’s obvious they like working with her, too.
“She is absolutely dynamic,” added Brower.