Dusk To Dawn
New Dusk to Dawn Program at Dodge Park
One of a kind nighttime adult day care program
alleviates concerns all through the night
Esther has early stage Alzheimer’s disease. Sometimes her days and her nights get confused and she is awake all night. Her family worries that she may come to harm. Albert is struggling with a new medication regimen and finds insomnia is an unwelcome side effect. Ida can no longer safely drive and has become socially isolated. For seniors like Esther, Albert and Ida, the night stretches long and lonely. They need a little help, but they want to remain independent. Their families want them to be happy, but they worry about how their loved ones are coping during this vulnerable time in their lives.
In recognition of this need in the senior community we serve, Dodge Park Rest Home created the Dusk to Dawn Program to begin September 1, 2009. It is based on a similar program at the world-renowned Hebrew Home in Riverdale, NY. Dodge Park offers this unique program as a social model adult day care program that helps seniors through the vulnerable nighttime hours. This is the first program of its kind in the State of Massachusetts, and only the second in the country. The program allows seniors who have memory impairment, or are frail and have sleeping problems, or would like to be socialized, to enjoy a wide variety of activities in a safe, home-like environment during the nighttime.
Dusk to Dawn participants can attend from two to seven days a week from 7pm to 7am, except on major holidays. (Special arrangements can be made for participants who need help with holiday care.) Dodge Park will provide transportation free of charge to the residents of Worcester and surrounding towns. The program will provide attendees with supper, snacks throughout the night, and breakfast before they leave for the day. For an additional nominal fee, showers are available for those who are interested in this service.
Under the caring supervision of the experienced, compassionate and continually trained staff at Dodge Park, Dusk to Dawn Program participants will enjoy a wide variety of activities throughout the night, such as art, exercise, music, reminiscence groups, morning stretching exercises, yoga, and more. Attendees who would like to nap or sleep can relax and recline in comfortable easy chairs in our beautiful quiet room under the care of our staff members. With assistance and supervision provided by staff, walkers of all levels of ability are free to get some exercise and socialize in our lower level. And the facility will provide a safe environment for participants who are at risk of wandering.
The affordable Dusk to Dawn program at Dodge Park will allow caregivers with limited funds to stretch their budget and enjoy restful nights or an evening out knowing that their loved ones are cared for in a safe and home-like environment. Families also may have the option to use funds provided by VA benefits and State of MA Care Giver Homes program to pay for this service.
The Dusk to Dawn program at Dodge Park allows seniors to stay at home longer and “age in place”. It is one more way that seniors can live at home with the appropriate care, modifications, and services. The advantage for the seniors is that aging in place allows them to remain more independent, remain in a home they may have been residing in for most of their adult life, and remain in the community. With the annual cost of nursing home care going up yearly, aging in place solutions are not just beneficial for seniors, but are also more affordable.
One of the most difficult decisions an adult child of an aging parent has to make is whether or not to place the parent in long-term care. Thankfully, more options exist today, like the Dusk to Dawn and Dodge Park Adult Day Care Programs, that allow seniors to age in place.
Adult day care allows caregivers to continue working outside the home, receive help with the physical care of a loved one, avoid the guilt of placing a loved one in institutional care, and have respite from what can be a “24/7″ responsibility.
The care receiver can benefit from adult day care by having the ability to remain at home with family, but does not require 24-hour care from the primary caregiver. Adult day care participants also have an opportunity to interact socially with peers, share in stimulating activities, receive physical or speech therapy if needed, and receive assistance with the activities of daily living with dignity.
There are numerous communities and agencies that recognize both the social and the economic benefits of allowing aging parents to remain in their homes. According to the AARP, more 80 million Americans will reach retirement age within the next 15 years, and over 80 percent of those retirees would like to stay in their present home as long as possible rather than moving into a retirement community and/or assisted living facility.
Certain individuals, such as those who suffer from advanced Alzheimer’s disease or other advanced types of memory loss, and those who require 24-hour care or supervision may not benefit from the concept of aging in place. However, for many seniors, like Esther, Albert and Ida, solutions like Dodge Park’s Dusk to Dawn or Adult Day Care Programs can make a difference in delaying, or even eliminating, placement in a long term care facility for seniors.
For more information and to receive a copy of our media kit, please contact the Dusk To Dawn at Dodge Park at 508-853-8180 or via email at m.shalev@dodgepark.com.
