In our dementia program, we have some participants that are very high functioning and at times, they remember more than I do! We also have participants in the later stages of Alzheimer’s Disease that have difficulty reading, recognizing numbers and expressing themselves.

We believe and we’ve seen that the more cognitive and physical stimulation we provide, the more the participants respond and improve. One such example is Mr. M — he came to us unable to speak or read. He started coming to our center one day a week and quickly increased to three days per week. Although he was not speaking or reading, his facial expressions showed that he enjoyed his time here and he participated in activities to the best of his ability with the help of our staff. After a year of sitting in on bingo but not being able to read the numbers, an amazing thing happened — he started to recognize and identify the numbers on the card! When our Recreation Coordinator patted him on the back to support and encourage him, he started to cry and smile. From that day on, he participated in bingo and his wife told staff that he was becoming more expressive at home. We’re all about helping people do as much as they can and supporting caregivers.

Just one example of what Adult Day Services can do! For more information on Adult Day Services in New York State, please check out the New York State Adult Day Services Association website www.nysadultday.org