Opened in 1995, the Hope Center provides a safe, caring, therapeutic and enjoyable day health program for people with Alzheimer’s disease and other memory disorders. Hope staff act as eyes and ears for primary care physicians, identifying risks and intervening early. Their intervention often helps prevent more serious health, behavioral and safety issues and reduces the likelihood of a hospitalization or emergency room visit.
Hope nurses provide health monitoring and medication administration. CNAs assist with toileting, showering and personal care. Case managers offer help and guidance for caregivers, including a twice-monthly support group, and the entire staff makes the time spent at Hope both enjoyable and therapeutic. The center has a diverse daily activity schedule, along with breakfast, lunch and afternoon snack. Additionally, Hope offers on-site podiatry, hairdressing and physical/occupational/speech therapy. This level of on-site care alleviates a major stress for family caregivers and helps preserve dignity for the individual.
While the health services provided at the center are vital, we believe that complementary therapies are just as important to the well-being of our participants. The center is a place where laughter and song can be heard every day. While the pandemic has put some programs on hold, Hope has offered art, music, cognitive fitness, pet therapy, laughing yoga, gardening, baking, pottery, tai chi, chair tap dancing and other physical activities to gently challenge participants to use their abilities that are still intact.
As the population ages, many more people will unfortunately find themselves faced with the unenviable responsibility of caring for a loved one with Alzheimer’s. We are hopeful that continuing research will someday help prevent, cure or even slow down the progression of this disease. In the meantime, adult day care is shown to surpass any drug therapy currently on the market in reducing the likelihood of nursing-home placement for people with Alzheimer’s. It helps keep people cognitively active and engaged in life, and, just as importantly, it gives caregivers a much-needed break from the stress of caring for a loved one with memory loss.
Our goal at Hope Alzheimer’s Center is to keep participants active for as long as possible to enable them to live at home, rather than a costly, life-changing environment such as a nursing home. In fact, many of our participants have been able to remain active at the center for nearly the duration of their illness.
Hope Alzheimer's Center 