09/19/2012

Adult Day Health Loves Its Staff

Care and Compassion. These two words are the heart of Adult Day Health. As we continue to celebrate national Adult Day Health Services week, lets’ take a closer look at the staff that deliver endless amounts of care and compassion: providing specific care needs for the clients attending the Athens and Winder Adult Day Health Centers. Our programs offer assistance with personal care services, such as bathing, toileting, oral hygiene, grooming and skin and nail care. Charles, a 62 year old male client, states “I feel so much better after Annie gives me my daily shower at the center”. Charles has fun playing games with his friends, and if it weren’t for the Bentley Center, he’d be sitting at home, alone.

All Adult Day Service staff are trained, compassionate, patient, caring, and calm. All of our Health/Activity Aides are First Aid and CPR trained and have completed Alzheimer’s training. Regular in-service trainings are completed to update their knowledge and maintain skill levels. Both our Athens and Winder sites have a full-time licensed RN on staff. Due to its size and extended hours, the Athens site also has a LPN that assists the RN with the medical needs of the clients. Furthermore, all the activities are coordinated by a full-time Activities Director, in each facility. Joanne, an 81 year old female client who attends ADH full-time, recently moved to the Athens area to be close to her daughter. Joanne states “I have enjoyed making new friends and working puzzles with them and telling stories about my dog, Chelsea”.

Comments from participants and caregivers include, “caretakers, like Annie are wonderful people”, “I wouldn’t know what to do with my mother without a place like the Adult Day Center”. Thank you to all our Adult Day Service employees for continuing to provide top notch care to our clients!

-Cheryl Dean and Thom Strickland, Bentley Adult Day Health