Frail seniors and their caregivers have come to rely on Adult Day Programs for the social connections that contribute to cognitive and physical well-being. Early in 2020 more than 1,000 seniors in communities across Vancouver Island were enrolled in 27 Adult Day Programs that have had to adapt and find new ways to support clients while following the rules of physical distancing.
“一日计划为经常处于痴呆症的早期至中等阶段的脆弱老年人，通过一些定期的体育锻炼，认知游戏，社区意识以及在同伴团体之间建立新友谊的机会。”beplay全站App岛健康’s Community Strategy team.
“与此同时，它为他们的照顾者提供了一些急需的常规喘息，然后使他们可以参加约会或跑腿或只是有一些停机时间。通常，护理人员是配偶，对他们来说可能很难。他们知道自己所爱的人要去他们将要安全，照顾，订婚并玩得开心，这让他们感到欣慰。”
拉德福德说，成人日计划可能是一些参与者的社会化的主要来源。“我们的很多一天的计划参与者都有照顾者，但并非所有人都这样做。他们中的一些人独自生活，他们可能会获得家庭支持，但剩下的时间他们独自一人。
“The social connection is so important. We’ve heard time and time again from family members who have seen that, after someone has attended day programs for a little, while, they’re so much more engaged, they’re happier.”
Losing those connections was a significant concern to program leaders when, due to the onset of COVID-19, in-person programs were suspended in March. Program operators immediately began looking for new ways to support their clients, perhaps through telephone calls or video visits, to maintain social connections and ensure they were connected to community supports for things like food and medicine deliveries.
One small program on Gabriola Island was able to take things several steps further, launching weekly deliveries of meals and activities, in addition to telephone visits and a newsletter for participants to share news and information with their friends. Participants are even contributing to their own version of a Farmer’s Almanac. The goal is to bring as much of the regular Adult Day Program as possible to people in their own homes, said Suzette Delmage, coordinator of seniors programs for People for A Healthy Community, the non-profit society that runs the program.
During the regular program participants get to interact with peers and program volunteers. “They sit down for lunch, they chat, they get to know each other when they’re here,” said Delmage. “We also include a lot of fun activities so people will have a good time when they come to the program.”
现在，厨师准备并包装新鲜的餐点，每周交付一次，以及诸如难题或手工艺品之类的活动。该计划的新闻通讯，其中包含来自参与者的有趣信息，还提供了他们的护理包。参与者对交货以及电话交谈表示赞赏。
101-year-old Cecily Danenhower, who lives alone on the Island, enjoys seeing the volunteers at her door and receiving her weekly care package. “I certainly am appreciative of the program and bringing something different to eat, my own cooking is sort of rotten,” she said, laughing. “Every single person that I’ve been close to in my life, good friends and even my relatives, are all dead, so it gives me a chance to associate. I really do just enjoy the people.”
It’s a sentiment echoed by other participants. “The lunch delivery is like having Christmas every Wednesday,” said Pat DeMuth, who has been coming to the program for two years.
“总会有美味的午餐，午餐袋总是有一个惊喜，所以这只是使他们的精神振奋的事情。”
“It’s making a huge difference for a lot of people who would normally be in this room at the program and just can’t be here anymore.”
Socialization, whether in-person or over the phone, is essential to seniors’ well-being, said Brenda Fowler, Executive Director of People for a Health Community. When you get to be over 80 you’re vulnerable to the things that erode your spirit and resilience and your self-esteem and self-confidence,” she said.
“What reconnects you to the path of wellness and the path of being energized and living life to the full is social connection, and that’s what this program delivers. It’s loneliness that is the villain in this story, and it’s social connection which is the hero.”
MORE INFORMATION:
Watch this video会见一些参与加布里奥拉岛成人日计划的参与者和领导人。
有关老年人卫生服务的更多信息，请访问IslandHealth.ca.
有关健康社区的人的信息，请访问phcgabriola.org.