September 2008 Vol. 27. No. 9

Published by the Humboldt Senior Resource Center in Eureka, California. HSRC is a non-profit community-based organization offering services for senior citizens, multi-generational families and caregivers.

Unsung heroes: Compassion, professionalism in adult day health staffs
Unsung heroes at the Humboldt Senior Resource Center
In a classroom: Here I sit with hugs and a lap
Around the Center: Unsung heroes volunteer at the McKinleyville Senior Center every day
Southern Humboldt: Animeals now serving Meals on Wheels

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Unsung heroes Compassion, professionalism in adult day health staffs
by Maggie Kraft

Participant David Godinho and Irene Jorgensen, program aide on the Fortuna Adult Day Health Services staff, make greeting cards. Photo by Lorna Hahner

I have written about the difficult work of caring for loved ones with Alzheimerıs or other dementias. Many of these families turn to others for help in order to remain healthy and sane

One place caregivers turn to is an adult day health care program. These programs provide a minimum of four hours of medical services, therapies and socialization five days a week to anyone who qualifies medically to receive the services. Adult day health care programs provide or arrange for transportation to and from the program. They provide a healthy snack and lunch each day, various crafting, art and music activities, gardening therapies, pet visits (our Fortuna program has a couple of dogs who attend each day with their staff guardians), field trips and a variety of visitors who come to visit and share themselves with the clients.

The programs also provide nursing and personal care, physical, occupational, speech, and psychological therapies, as well as a dietician who looks after nutrition issues. All this is done for a daily fee that doesnıt completely cover the cost of services, so most adult day health care centers are dependent on additional community support.

Okay, so the unsung hero part? The amazing staff who work at the three adult day health centers in Humboldt are definitely unsung heroes. Because the Medi-Cal reimbursement for this program is low and doesnıt keep up with inflation, and most families canıt afford to pay the full price of services, budgets are on a shoestring.

Staff members who work at these programs could make more elsewhere ‹ in hospitals, doctorıs offices or nursing homes. Yet we have staff who have been with these programs for more than 20 years. These staff members simply enjoy working with clients and truly care about their lives and health.

Staff gets to know many things about the families and lives of our clients. They recognize that our clients arenıt the health problem or disability that has brought them to our door, but people with full and interesting life histories, just like the rest of us. Staff are honored to be able to assist our clients during what for most of them will be the last few months or years of their lives.

Our society has yet to recognize the value of caregivers who assist frail seniors and disabled adults during the challenges that face them in their last years. We take it for granted that someone will be there to take care of the sick and poor and will be willing to do it for very little money. This assumption is not a good long-term health-care strategy.

Meanwhile, I know that the many who are served by these hardworking, caring staff are grateful that there exist people who are willing to share themselves and help others to maintain their independence and dignity through tough times.

If you want to meet these incredible heroes and become a part of their world, contact: Eureka Adult Day Health Services 444-8254, Fortuna Adult Day Health Services 725-6927 or Adult Day Health Care of Mad River 822-4866.

Maggie Kraft is assistant director of services for the Humboldt Senior Resource Center, e-mail mkraft@humsenior.org.