For many older adults and their families who find themselves facing the beginning stages of dementia and Alzheimer\u2019s, there are few options beyond hiring help or expensive daycare facilities. Spouses or children who function as caregivers might opt to employ the help of part-time professional caregivers or a daytime care center, but the field of options shrinks if finances are a concern.
\nThat\u2019s where the University City Older Adult Center (UCOAC) comes in. One of four senior center programs operated under the Jewish Family Service of San Diego, UCOAC is the only one geared toward those dealing with beginning stages of dementia. It wasn\u2019t always that way, however, said program coordinator Aviva Saad.
\n“When I started six years ago, I was putting together a program with classical music and [complex] lectures,” she said. “They simply couldn\u2019t relate. It was a trial-and-error process, and I realized there was a need in the community for a program like this for people in those beginning stages [of dementia].”
\nFor $21 a day, members get four hours of activities, exercise, entertainment and a hot kosher lunch. The program is open Tuesdays, Wednesdays and Thursdays from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Saad has built the program little by little, asking members what they like and don\u2019t like and observing what they respond to.
\n“Each one experiences the disease in a different way,” she said. “It\u2019s sad to see people who can\u2019t enjoy things because they\u2019re limited mentally or physically, so we try to do things with them that allow them to engage and be active, and they love it.”
\nEach day, the program starts with some kind of brain-stimulating activity. One day may feature bingo, another a lecture or brain games. Following that, members move on to physical exercise, which generally involves “dancing” in a chair \u2014 moving arms and legs to music, led by Saad. Before lunch, Saad leads members in a brief meditation exercise to calm the mind before they are served by the kitchen volunteers, and lunch is always followed by entertainment, often by local musicians. Saad said she feels the program helps slow the inevitable progression of a debilitating disease.
\n“I\u2019m sure that, because of these activities \u2014 when they\u2019re engaged and active \u2014 the disease doesn\u2019t progress as quickly,” she said. “And I think they understand that, and it makes them happy.”
\nThe program doesn\u2019t help only those who are suffering from dementia. Caregivers, too, benefit from having their load lightened for a few hours a day. Some come with participants \u2014 the program doesn\u2019t accept those whose disease has advanced enough that they may wander without a caretaker present \u2014 and get the same rewards: exercise, lunch, entertainment. Others, mostly spouses who serve as caregivers, can drop off their loved one and take an afternoon to run errands or relax.
\n“It\u2019s a win-win,” Saad said. Though the program is managed through JFS, Saad said roughly 50 percent of participants aren\u2019t Jewish. In fact, several languages and cultures are represented in the group. Despite their different backgrounds and various stages of health, all the participants can appreciate the program\u2019s activities. On a recent Tuesday, musical group MusicStation kept the group moving with entertainment. Several participants didn\u2019t stop dancing for an entire hour.
\n“You know it\u2019s good music when people can\u2019t help but move,” said one member.
\nFor Saad, this is a sign her program is working.
\n“I\u2019ve seen clients that have been coming here for years,” she said. “At first, they\u2019re terrified because it\u2019s scary when you start to decline mentally. Eventually, we make them feel as normal as possible. The beauty is these activities are designed for them, and they start to love coming here.”
\nFor more information on the University City Older Adult Center, visit www.jfssd.org and find the name under the “Services” tab. For those who don\u2019t have transportation, JFS offers rides through its On The Go service for a small fee. Call (858) 637-7320 or visit www.jfssd.org for service areas and eligibility.<\/p>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
For many older adults and their families who find themselves facing the beginning stages of dementia and Alzheimer\u2019s, there are few options beyond hiring help or expensive daycare facilities. Spouses or children who function as caregivers might opt to employ the help of part-time professional caregivers or a daytime care center, but the field of […]<\/p>","protected":false},"author":726,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_seopress_robots_primary_cat":"11560","_seopress_titles_title":"Program offers daytime options for those facing dementia, Alzheimer\u2019s","_seopress_titles_desc":"","_seopress_robots_index":"","jnews-multi-image_gallery":[],"jnews_single_post":[],"jnews_primary_category":[],"jnews_social_meta":[],"jnews_override_counter":[],"footnotes":""},"categories":[11560,11551,11593],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-298821","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-la-jolla-village-news","category-news","category-no-images"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/test.sdnews.com\/es\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/298821","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/test.sdnews.com\/es\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/test.sdnews.com\/es\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/test.sdnews.com\/es\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/726"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/test.sdnews.com\/es\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=298821"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/test.sdnews.com\/es\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/298821\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/test.sdnews.com\/es\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=298821"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/test.sdnews.com\/es\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=298821"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/test.sdnews.com\/es\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=298821"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}