Program filling needs for seniors, caregivers
Her dad needed a day to dress up and socialize. Her mom, meanwhile, just needed a break. So Karen Hutson, a referral specialist for Fairview Commons, started taking her 78-year-old dad to work one day a week.
After the day ends at 4 p.m., Champigny goes home to the care of his wife Norma.
While taking part in Adult Day, which meets from 7:30 a.m. to 4 p.m. every weekday, Champigny gets the benefit of a social circle, Hutson said, and her mother gets a well-deserved rest.
"It's as good for the caregiver as it is for the (client)," she said.
The "bad part," according to program director and registered nurse Barbara Cartinelli, is having to convince seniors that participating in Adult Day isn't the same as moving into a full-time care facility.
