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Installing grab bars in the bathroom are a great way to improve the safety of the older adults in our lives. But there’s more to improving safety than just purchasing a pair of grab bars. Try these helpful tips to improve the safety of your loved one when they’re getting in and out of the tub.

Concentration Counts

• Getting in and out of the tub requires concentration
• Your loved one may need help in the bathroom if they have difficulty with attention or concentration

Practice Makes Perfect

• Practice using newly installed grab bars before…

At the VNSNY CHOICE Adult Day Center in Woodside, Queens, we’re excited that we have begun offering computer classes to VNSNY CHOICE members! Our Activities Coordinator, Michele, has been working hard to recruit and train volunteers and staff to lead this new effort.  

Members are learning about the internet and how to find music, Skype, news, fashion and videos. They are practicing how to use a mouse by playing simple match games and solitaire. On the tablets, they’re playing word games, match games, Family Feud, The Price Is Right and tuning into radio…

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…

As a VNSNY CHOICE Rehab Consultant recently told us, “I’ve always been amazed at the cultural diversity of the center.” Being located in Queens, we serve many cultures and we work hard to ensure our center and services are culturally appropriate. Not only do we have staffing and food services to meet the needs of those we serve, but we also adapt activities to focus on inclusion of all cultures.

Last week in our dementia program, we designated a special day to celebrate different cultures. Members wore clothes and brought in…

When family gets older and transportation is difficult, even those living close by may find it challenging to see each other.   Three sisters, all originally from Haiti, moved to this country many years ago.   Two sisters live in Queens and the third lives in Brooklyn.    They used to spend a lot of time together but as they’ve gotten older, it’s become more difficult to get together.   Who would have thought that joining VNSNY CHOICE would help them find a way to see each other more often!  

In 2010, the first sister…

This morning, I watched with joy, as our members laughed their way through another exercise session. Our Activity Coordinator uses humor to engage the seniors and they happily participate in exercise, despite their functional limitations and pain level. At the VNSNY CHOICE Adult Day Center, we use humor to engage seniors in all types of activities, and here are some reasons why it works!

• Some seniors may not be comfortable participating in activities that are new to them, but humor loosens them up, opens them up to trying something new, and…

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…

On Tuesday, we celebrated Grandparents Day with our friends from the Girl Scouts, Boy Scouts and Daisies in Westchester. Victoria, from Troop 1986, has been coming to the center and coordinating activities for the seniors for the past 6 years. Here are some of her thoughts about the day…

Sharing Grandparents Day with the VNSNY CHOICE Adult Day Center and some of my scouts was a great opportunity to celebrate grandparents. By using cooking, I was able to bring my great grandmother’s memory to life. I shared her favorite recipes and cookbooks, which she kept…

The VNSNY CHOICE Adult Day Center is so lucky to partner with Girl Scout Troop 1986 to create fun and meaningful intergenerational programs for our seniors! Congratulations to Victoria, one of our Scouts that wrote and received a grant from Generations United in Washington DC! Funding will go toward an intergenerational nutritionally based program, which will not only help our seniors but will extend way beyond our four walls. The program will include a Grandparents Day event, creation of an intergenerational cookbook and in-home activity kits for 150 seniors in Westchester.

We’re…

At the VNSNY CHOICE Adult Day Center, we serve seniors that speak four languages, come from over 25 countries and have varying cognitive and education levels. It’s not a “one program serve all” type of environment. The Activity Coordinators are very mindful to create a variety of activities to maximize each member’s experience at the center.

On any given day, multiple activities are offered at one time to give our members choices and to allow them to pursue their individual interests. Today, we had exercise, art, mah jong, dominoes and music…