Adult Day Center Award
in NADSA Awards
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." Today we recognize two outstanding Adult Day Services Centers and all of the staff that contribute to the work that they do.
Family Alliance, Inc.
Woodstock, IL
In 1981, Family Alliance, Inc. joined the McHenry County community as the first and only day services center for adults. Today, the active adult wellness and mental health fitness center remains as unique as it was 30 years ago. Facing challenges head on throughout the years, Family Alliance has become a model of best practices for adult day services, with dual accreditations from the Joint Commission and CARF and pioneering forward through partnerships in research and innovative therapeutic models. In 2010, Family Alliance received the "Everything Under the Sun Award" from the Illinois Adult Day Service Association at the Governor’s Conference on Aging in Chicago.
Family Alliance operates two separate adult day programs providing distinct services for dementia, mental health, and physical conditions: The REACH Program and Dementia Specific Program. The programs dovetail with the the Recovery program, offering mental health and psychiatric services to both day program participants and their caregivers. The following descriptions highlight Family Alliance's recent achievements in person centered day programming over the past 5 years.
Family Alliance partnered with Creative Care Alternatives for person-centered care training through Montessori methods of education. "While many interventions today are cognizant of the whole person approach, the Montessori Method offers a codified, accessible and wide-ranging method and philosophy that addresses the whole person." Montessori utilizes methods of care that consider a prepared environment, the power of invitation, self-esteem, rehabilitation, intellectual acuity, spiritual engagement, and choice in order to respond to the whole person. Family Alliance has shared this experience with other providers and caregivers locally and at the NADSA Annual Conference.
Similarly, the revamped REACH program keeps person-centered wellness at its heart. The focus is in the name: REACH stands for Renew Your Sense of Self; Enhance Your Talents; Adapt to Life Changes; Connect with New Friends; and Heal the Wounds that keep you from living life to the fullest. Serving active adults with mental health diagnoses or socialization needs, REACH offers a menu of activity: computer lessons, healthy living, cooking classes, massage therapy, and mindfulness practices, to name a few.
Additionally, Family Alliance is home to an award-winning Courtyard and Memory Garden. Staff from the Chicago Botanical Gardens worked on site for 40 weeks to train staff in horticultural therapy. Family Alliance is now the only site offering Horticultural Therapy in McHenry County. The Courtyard and Memory Garden allows for interactive programming and successful experiences for clients with mild to significant cognitive impairment.
Family Alliance collaborates with the Main Stay Therapeutic Riding Program, in addition to on-site animal assisted therapy. Clients from both day programs participate in this rewarding horse therapy experience. Interaction with horses can spark memories of earlier life and help individuals who may have trouble expressing themselves through words. One client remarked, "I can do anything!" while atop a horse for the first time at the age of 92.
Family Alliance partnered with Perry Edelman, Ph.D., Director of Outcomes Research at the Mather LifeWays Institute on Aging to provide a test center for his research on a method of observation for assessing the quality of life with people with dementia: Observing Quality of Life in Dementia (OQOLD). The testing and development of the OQOLD procedure has proved to be reliable, valid, useful, and practical for the dementia-specific population.
In 2008, Family Alliance's clinician attended a year-long training from the Capacitar Organization. The exercises taught in this program are very simple, yet effective, practices that include tai chi, massage, basic acupressure, guided imagery, energizing exercises, relaxation through music, dance and other stress reduction techniques that help to improve both physical and emotional health. These "connection" activities are available to all clients of Family Alliance.
Now, combining the partnership with Mather LifeWays and Capacitar training, and with additional one-on-one mentoring by the American Psychiatric Nursing Foundation, Family Alliance will research the effects of these group relaxation "connection" techniques on clients with dementia and how it might improve their quality of life. Using the OQOLD tool, they will measure the impact of this intervention on the quality of life and wellness of our clients, and contribute to the body of evidenced-based practices for both caregivers and Adult Day Health Programs serving persons with dementia.
Furthermore, with the accessibility of wellness services for the community at the forefront of the agency's strategic plan, Family Alliance has partnered with a family physician, chiropractor, massage therapist, and even a hair stylist to offer their services on-site. Key to their services, Family Alliance offers multiple support groups for both spouses and caregivers every month.
Family Alliance strives to assist mature adults in the Northern Illinois region to remain in their homes and achieve resiliency in their communities and to promote independence by providing best-of-practice day programming, in-home, and on-site mental health and dementia services, and proactive caregiver support. Outcomes of the program are encouraging. In 2010, 84% of clients completing treatment overall maintained or improved their Global Assessment of Functioning (GAF) score; 95% of REACH program clients and 81% of Dementia Specific Programming clients remained in their home. 25% of current clients have received services for over 3 years, with an average of 2.5 years for REACH and 1.5 years for Dementia Services.
—Lyn Orphal
Martin Luther Campus Adult Day Programs
Bloomington, MN
Martin Luther Campus Adult Day Services consists of two adult day programs: Campus Club and Creekside Club. At these two centers, innovative programming and practices are taking place in order to strengthen the business and help it to prepare to move into the 21st century.
Lifelong Learning has always been an important program component. The goal is to enhance the participants' quality of life by providing a variety of programming opportunities for continued learning and exploration of talents and creative expression.
These programs, provided in a dignified, safe environment, are opportunities to promote creativity, stimulate socialization, and provide a sense of purpose. They may also enhance cognitive ability, physical and mental health. These lifelong learning programs are accessible to all participants regardless of ability. Here are some examples of the innovative programming and community partnerships that are taking place at Campus and Creekside Club:
"Dancing Hearts" led by the "Kairos Dance Group" is a movement, singing and dancing group that promotes a new vision of dance, designed to create a sense of community and well-being in participants of all ages. "Dancing Hearts" most often works with participants diagnosed with dementia, who have experienced improvement in flexibility, energy, balance, memory and socialization. Participants in both programs have often commented how much they enjoy dancing together.
"MacPhail School of Music" offers "MacPhail Music for Life," which is a music education program for older adults which celebrates creative aging and lifelong learning. A MacPhail teaching artist engages Creekside Club members in participatory learning of vocal wellness and technique, singing, playing melodic and percussive instruments, improvisation and songwriting. Creekside Club participant Flo G. says, "This is my kind of music." Jill S. says, "At first I didn't think I would like it, but I found out I really enjoy it." Participant Steve O. will be joining MacPhail artist and fellow participants during sessions in which he will play along with his saxophone.
In another inovative program, Campus and Creekside Club participants enjoy the "ClayToGo" program. Under the guidance of professional artists using materials brought in the Northern Clay Center's ClayMobile, participants enjoy connecting their hands and brains in a relaxed but creative environment working with clay outside the walls of the Center. Campus Club participant Lorraine L. says, "This clay class is wonderful."
"Words of Wisdom" and watercolor classes go hand and hand for participants, some who have never held a paintbrush before. Bloomington Art Center instructor Holly guides participants to work with simple shapes and small nature objects, applied to both semi-abstract and realistic subjects. Participants enjoy sharing their masterpieces, as well as "words of wisdom" about their pieces. Creekside Club participant Dagne O. says, "I like the more brilliant, brighter colors of the sunrises and sunsets."
—Sally Peterson