The Girl Scouts Troop 1986 from Westchester has been coming to the VNSNY CHOICE Adult Day Center to lead and participate in intergenerational activities for many years. We’ve literally watched the girls grow up. Over the years, they’ve become so comfortable and developed a true appreciation for seniors. For our seniors, their creativity and energy has been an inspiration and comfort. Sadly, this year will be Troop 1986’s last year with us. We’re hoping Victoria’s younger brother in the Cub Scouts and younger sister in the Daisies continue intergenerational activities for many years to come. Here…

The VNSNY CHOICE Adult Day Center is lucky to have a fantastic group of volunteers that help us serve our members! Volunteers come to us from all walks of life, ages (12 – 80 years old) and cultural backgrounds. They have a wide variety of talents and skills to share with our members, including pet therapy, art, music and computers. Most importantly, they bring companionship and compassion to support our members.     

I recently read a quote from President Woodrow Wilson that moved me and really described our volunteers: “You are not here to…

As you’ve heard by now, the flu has spread across the country.  If you know someone who has dementia, you should be aware that identifying and treating the flu in a timely manner can be challenging. The person may not be able to express when he or she is starting to feel sick. Watching for behavioral changes becomes especially important as this may be the first indication that the person is not feeling well. Once you identify symptoms of the flu, getting your loved one to the doctor as quickly as possible is important…

The holidays are a festive time of year at the VNSNY CHOICE Adult Day Center. Since we serve seniors from over 30 countries, it’s important to us that we incorporate all cultures and traditions into our celebrations.

In addition to all of our holiday parties filled with multi-cultural entertainment, music and dancing, we had a tree-trimming party that sparked lots of reminiscing. Members’ faces lit up as they talked about memories and traditions from their countries. Ms. S. remembered making their family ornaments. She said that our tree-trimming festivities help to…

The holidays are a busy time of year, and for family caregivers, there’s even more to juggle. While it’s a wonderful time of year to connect with loved ones, for caregivers of people with dementia, it can be especially challenging. With some planning, the holidays can be more manageable and enjoyable for everyone.

The Alzheimer’s Foundation of America (www.alzfdn.org) offers tips for caregivers to help navigate the holiday season. See below for helpful suggestions:

• Set realistic expectations for yourself and family gatherings.
• Plan celebrations in familiar locations – new environments can cause confusion…

Members tell me every day that they’re always open to learning something new, and many of them come to our center so they can be exposed to new activities. Learning happens in so many ways at the VNSNY CHOICE Adult Day Center. Some members teach skills to each other, while others learn from center staff and outside consultants.

While some may look at bingo as just another game played at senior centers, our members actually learn English through playing. We have members that speak Spanish, French Creole and Chinese, and they…

Everyday, we offer exercise at the VNSNY CHOICE Adult Day Center. We do something different everyday to keep our members interested. From yoga to stretching to chair dancing to Wii to DJ dance parties, we keep our members involved and moving to the best of their abilities. Fun is also a key ingredient to keeping them engaged – the more they laugh, the more they move! During our exercise group yesterday, members talked about why they like exercising here at the center – interesting thoughts…

• We encourage each other to do better!
• At…

It constantly amazes me how a little cognitive stimulation goes a long way to improve functioning in older adults. Many seniors are home and isolated, and the only stimulation they get is watching television. At the VNSNY CHOICE Adult Day Center, we see endless examples of people who come to our center withdrawn, depressed and confused. After just a few short months, with a consistent routine, socialization and participation in activities, we see people’s mood and level of functioning greatly improve.

In our dementia program, with some cognitive stimulation, the changes…

Not only does the VNSNY CHOICE Adult Day Center keep seniors socializing and stimulated while at the center, but we continue to look for ways to support caregivers at home. By doing activities at home with seniors, especially those with dementia, caregivers may find they help to reduce agitation, improve alertness and mood, and decrease depression.

Ms. R. is a great example of how an adult day center, a Medicaid Managed Care Program and caregivers at home can work together to keep seniors living at home safely. Ms. R., 82 years…

Credit: pdphoto.org

The VNSNY CHOICE Adult Day Center serves seniors speaking English, Spanish, French Creole and Chinese from over 30 countries. We embrace all ethnicities — our  staff and seniors love to share their culture and history.   We’ve learned a lot from each other over the years. Everyday, our members teach us about tolerance and respect.

Because Cinco de Mayo fell on a Saturday this year, our center celebrated with fiestas all day long last Friday. Activities included cooking groups, games and discussion groups. They cooked delicious Mexican dishes and reminisced about their childhoods. They…