Avita of Stroudwater’s Day Memory-Care Program Keeps Adults Active

Sales director Cally Brake explains finding the window of opportunity to introduce a loved one with dementia to a day program to help keep them social and stimulated.

Avita of Stroudwater sales director Cally Brake
Avita of Stroudwater sales director Cally Brake. Photo by Dave Waddell

How do you know if an adult day memory-care program is right for your loved one?

We call it the window of opportunity. We want folks to come in at a higher functionality because it is a lot of transitioning from home to the program and back again, and we want to make sure they can still cognitively understand the bouncing around. For someone further in their progression, transitions alone can be detrimental, and we don’t want to contribute to any decline. We also operate on a social model versus a medical model, meaning folks must walk on their own, care for themselves, and we do not provide medication management. Care coordination happens once members become full time residents.

What does a typical day in Avita of Stroudwater’s adult day program look like?

Our adult day program is open Monday through Friday, 9 to 4. Folks can come a minimum of three days and up to five days per week for consistency and to help develop a familiar routine. We offer breakfast, and then they join our residential programs. In the morning, it’s usually current events, socializing, and getting everybody up and moving. Then, we run right into an exercise program that could be anything from tai chi to virtual bike pedaling. After exercise, we do a cognitive game, then, lunch and a little downtime before we jump back in, usually to an artist-in-residence program. From there, it’s another kind of active game, like bowling or horseshoes. It’s very busy. Our goal is to have the day folks join in on every program. We want them to go home tired and feeling like they’ve done something meaningful.

How do you recommend family members propose this option to their loved one?

Folks don’t always come in willingly. We don’t always present it as a day program because who wants to hear that they’re going to daycare? Sometimes, we share it as a volunteer opportunity for them to help us take care of the people who live here. Sometimes, we call it a “senior club.” We offer three trial visits free of charge before enrollment. Usually, the first visit is for lunch and a program, the second visit is for a few more hours, and the last visit is what the family’s goal is for the length of the person’s full day.

Do a lot of the day-program participants transition into the residential-care program?

That is our goal, and that’s something I’m very upfront with families about. This is a segue into residential care. It’s not something they have to commit to, but probably 95 percent of our day-program participants end up moving in. The great benefit of the day program is that participants become familiar with the environment, the residents, and the staff.

What sets Avita apart from other memory-care programs?

There’s a huge stigma around memory care, especially with the older generation. A lot of folks we see now have this idea that memory care is like a nursing home. Avita’s philosophy is different. We keep people engaged, keep them stimulated, and keep them active. I think this philosophy is spot on, and it makes it really enjoyable to work with folks who are going through one of the hardest transitions of their life.

To learn more about Northbridge’s Avita Memory Care programs in Brunswick, Wells and Westbrook, visit northbridgemaine.com.