Imagine if you had to spend your day alone, isolated from others. Now add constant confusion to that mix.
You probably start muttering to yourself, to break the silence. Maybe you decide to wander into the backyard, but don’t remember how to get back into the house and aren’t found until a loved one comes home and finds you in the yard, or maybe miles from the home.
For many seniors with Alzheimer’s or dementia, being alone for hours can become a normal occurrence when living with a caretaker that is still working. They leave for work or go out for errands, and the person with the disease is left at home, alone, maybe feeling isolated, which increases confusion.
According to the Alzheimer’s Association, there is evidence which suggests that the risk of Alzheimer’s disease can at least double in older people experiencing loneliness. That’s where an adult day care program can step in and provide a relief from loneliness, encouraging socialization with others to feel less isolated.
At Third Street Alliance’s program, seniors with dementia, Alzheimer’s and other disabilities interact with each other through cooking and baking projects, playing games together, playing music together or just talking with one another. They enjoy musical guests, intergenerational activities with preschool students and time with volunteers for Lafayette College students.
The time with each other provides much needed social interaction to help prevent cognitive decline that leads to unsafe wandering or loneliness and depression. The routine also prevents day/night mix-ups that can occur with the disease.
If you are thinking that adult day care is the next step for your loved one, come visit our program and speak with our director and our clients about why they love the program.
