Adult Day Programme Improving Seniors Lives
[Written by Stephen Wright]
For more than a decade, the WindReach Adult Day Programme has helped improve the quality of life of the island’s ageing population through stimulating activities in a safe and friendly environment.
The enriching programme, which started as a monthly tea party, has evolved over the years and now runs as a full-day service from Monday to Thursday, 9.30 am to 4 pm, at the WindReach Adult Day Centre.
Among the fun-filled activities offered to seniors are arts and crafts, gardening, walks on the four-acre grounds, seated exercise, animal interaction, adaptive sports, cognitive activities, social gatherings and community visits.
The programme caters for up to 60 seniors each week, with a maximum of 15 per day.
Cheree Wade, the Adult Day Programme coordinator, believes the programme helps alleviate feelings of isolation among their clients, improving their mental state, increasing health and wellbeing, and providing much-needed respite for primary caregivers.
“Our activities are designed to enrich the lives of our participants,” Ms Wade told Bernews. “We try to really get to know them and understand what they enjoy so we can make our activities even more meaningful and special.
“The programme aims to decrease feelings of isolation in our participants. For those living alone, this is the opportune time to engage and socialise with others in a fun and safe space.
“It’s also a great opportunity for family members or caregivers to receive respite from their everyday caregiving.”
While some of the programme’s participants are living with dementia or Alzheimer’s, Ms Wade stressed that not everyone comes with an official diagnosis.
“Most of our folks are still very active, some with the assistance of walkers,” she said.
“Our programme encourages them to make decisions for themselves. It gives them autonomy over how they want to spend their day.
“Families with a loved one with dementia or Alzheimer’s are looking for activities during the day where their loved ones can come, engage, and have fun in a safe space.
“Not everyone who comes has an official diagnosis. We have seniors who come to us looking to fill the day with purposeful activities.”
Ms Wade said the programme also acts as a bridge between home care and care homes.
“We tend to fill that gap for families looking to allow their loved one to age at home.”
For more details about the WindReach Adult Day Programme, registered by the Bermuda Health Council, visit www.windreachbermuda.org or e-mail cwade@windreach.bm.
This is good. One or two more of these facilities would be ideal.