101st Birthday Celebration at SarahCare Adult Day Care

Kingwood, Texas, March, 2011 — Bess Dickson, born March 22, 1910 in Waxahachie, Texas, is celebrating her 101st birthday on March 22, 2010 at the SarahCare Center in Kingwood. Her family and friends are expected to attend the celebration, with refreshments and entertainment, from 3pm to 6pm. Bess lived in the Ridgewood Retirement Center in Beaumont, TX, for the last four years and recently moved to the Humble/Kingwood area to live with her daughter Joy Stokes.

Bess married the year before the Great Depression of 1929. They adopted their only child, Joy Stokes, after 18 years of a childless marriage, and has one grandson, Kenyard Stokes and three great-granddaughters, Hannah, Makenna and Sophia.

Ms. Bess taught a Ladies’ Bible Study class in her church in the BeaumontNidor area for 55 years, was active in the Beta Sigma Phi sorority for 20+ years, she served in the Women’s Auxiliary Corps (WAC) during World War II in the event of an attack in the area. She worked as a keypunch operator for the shipyard during World War Il, a buyer for Rosenthal’s, a cosmetic representative for Germaine-Monteil, owned and operated with her husband a dry cleaning plant for almost 20 years, retired from Sears as an interior decorator. She has also served her community in various and innumerable capacities. She received a proclamation from the mayor of the City of Vidor on her ^100th birthday for her many years of service and contributions to the community.

Bess attributes her longevity to taking only one medication and walking everyday for many years, and has never been an over-eater which enables her to continue to be able to walk with some assistance. Loving and serving God and others have been her greatest pleasure and motivation for living. She still enjoys visiting with people and sharing her memories of her past with people, and has really thrived at the SarahCare center where she receives much loving and tender care and visits with everyone there. She never meets a stranger.

The winning photo of SarahCare vets was published in the July 21st edition of The Tribune (community newspaper in Kingwood/Humble), with the following caption:
SarahCare Adult Day Care Participants (Tony Diyorio, 88, from the Army; Walter Waters, 86, from the Navy; Paul Root, 91, from the Army; Duane Scott (standing), 84, from the Navy; and Ralph Warner, 77, from the Navy) love to show their pictures while in the military service.  With  handmade flag-theme decors made by the participants in the background, each veteran shares their unique experiences.  They will be honored at SarahCare’s 4th of July celebration.   By honoring veterans, participants are able to show respect for what their fellow participants have done for the nation.

A support group meeting for caregivers will be held on APRIL 17.  This will be open to the public (for caregivers of participants and non-participants), with details and announcements to be published in the local papers.  There will be round-table discussion with a resource person on each table, including:  a pharmacist, a geriatric case manager, geriatric nurse and a senior resource guide person.

Through May 31, 2010, we are giving away a free full-day coupon to any active participant who refers a friend.

Event on November 19 Coincides with

National Alzheimer’s Disease Awareness Month (November)

As the incidence of Alzheimer’s disease continues to climb, communities across the country will light “candles of care” in November, to remember those who have passed from the brain disorder and others living with it as part of an annual event sponsored by the Alzheimer’s Foundation of America (AFA).

AFA’s National Commemorative Candle Lighting occurs during National Alzheimer’s Disease Awareness Month.  SarahCare Adult Day Care, Silverado and Visiting Angels, LSA will jointly hold its candle lighting ceremony at the Kingwood First Baptist Church (3500 Woodland Hills Dr., Kingwood, Texas) on Thursday. November 19, 2009 at 6:30 pm.  The ceremony will feature a candle lighting,  messages from  Marie Whitson (a caregiver and Regional Marketing Director of Rosemont Assisted Living) and Rev. John Burris (Associate Pastor of Kingwood First Baptist Church) and a reading of names.  For more information, please call Lisa Suarez at 281/361-7000.

Hundreds of organizations from coast to coast will similarly hold inspirational ceremonies on the same week. It is the 7^th year that AFA is sponsoring the annual event. “By bringing communities together in prayer, these ceremonies are very therapeutic for families who have been affected by this heartbreaking disease,” said Eric J. Hall, AFA’s chief executive officer. “Moreover, the event powerfully calls attention to the need to join together to press for optimal care in addition to a cure.”

Alzheimer’s disease, which results in loss of memory and other intellectual functions, currently affects an estimated five million Americans, including one in ten aged 65 and older. The number of cases is projected to triple by mid-century, especially with aging baby boomers.

National Commemorative Candle Lighting is one of several of AFA’s ongoing initiatives to raise awareness of Alzheimer’s disease and related illnesses on a grand scale. On November 15, sites across the nation will provide free confidential memory screenings and education about healthy aging as part of AFA’s annual National Memory Screening Day.

AFA, based in New York, is a national nonprofit organization that unites member organizations across North America with the goal of providing optimal care to individuals with Alzheimer’s disease and related illnesses, and their families. Its services include a toll-free hot line, educational materials, a free quarterly magazine for caregivers, and professional training. For more information about AFA and its November events, call toll-free 866-AFA-8484 or visit www.alzfdn.org.

SarahCare Adult Day Services of Kingwood-Humble is pleased to announce its new Saturday Adult Day Care program starting in April.  It offers caregivers time off on Saturdays, while their loved ones enjoy a day of therapeutic activities designed to promote social skills, reduce stress/ anxiety and increase self-confidence.    The Center (which is located at the Northpark Plaza at US59 North feeder road in Kingwood) will be open every Saturday 9 am- 4 pm, providing breakfast, lunch, snacks, activities, and socializing.   Saturday activities will include music, arts & crafts, exercise programs and  games.

SarahCare takes care of seniors with disorders such as stroke, Alzheimer’s disease, Parkinson’s disease and incontinency.  It also cares for seniors who are frail and isolated and feel more comfortable being in a safe environment while enjoying great food and activities with their friends.

The Saturday program will not be limited to those who regularly participate in SarahCare’s weekday program.  A 10% discount is offered to those who sign-up before March 31, 2010.

The center which opened last September creates a customized program of activities for each participant including light exercises, crafts and therapeutic services. In addition, SarahCare provides personal care assistance with bathing, daily living routines and incontinence support. There are beauty and barbershop services, podiatry care and whirlpool aromatherapy. A nurse is on staff to monitor blood pressure and weight, check blood sugar and administer medication. SarahCare has also become a popular meeting place for seniors from nearby independent-living and assisted living facilities, notes SarahCare’s Director Lisa Suarez. “The seniors get bored with the same daily situation,” she explains. “SarahCare gives them an alternative environment which allows them to get out, socialize and take part in different activites.” SarahCare provides a van to transport participants.

With the aging of the baby boom population, the demand for SarahCare’s services is expected continue to rise. By 2030, more than 18% of Texans will be 65 or older compared to 10% last year. “The numbers are in our favor,” said Dr. Merle Griff, a gerontologist who opened the first SarahCare center in Ohio in 1985. “The number of elderly is only going to continue to explode, and with federal and state governments really trying to keep as many people in their homes as possible, this is an area full of opportunity.”

The company has grown dramatically through starting franchising three years ago. There are close to 50 SarahCare centers open or in the development process with the Kingwood location being the first in Texas. While there’s a great need for SarahCare’s services, there’s often a reluctance on the part of seniors and their caregivers to give SarahCare a try. “The seniors fear it’s an institution and their family members feel guilty about leaving their loved one,” explains Suarez. “But once they try us, they don’t want to stop!”

To help alleviate such initial concerns, SarahCare is offering a complimentary four-hour trial stay, which also benefits SarahCare says Suarez: “I can evaluate each participant to find out what activities they want to do and can do, so I can better customize their activity program.” Caregivers are welcome to stay during the trial session until the participant feels comfortable, she adds. Spring activities at the center include painting and planting flower pots and making gifts for U.S. soldiers overseas. “We look forward to introducing more and more people from the Kingwood, Humble and Atascocita area to our unique facility and our highly qualified staff,” says Suarez, a physician assistant with more than a decade of experience working with the elderly. On staff are a registered nurse, a nurse assistant, and a dietician – all trained in the various impairments and health problems effecting the senior population.

SarahCare is open M-F; 6:45 a.m.-6 p.m. Participants can stay all day or just drop-in for a few hours. SarahCare services run approximately $65 per day, compared to home healthcare aides which range from $20-$25/hour. The facility and its full-service kitchen are available free of charge for community organizations to hold special events, meetings or fund-raising programs. To schedule a complimentary trial session, contact Lisa Suarez at 281-361-7000 or mlisas1019@aol.com.

Every weekend, Mary Welter, 80, bakes a cake to share with her friends at day care on Monday. Welter is among the growing ranks of the elderly whose families take them to SarahCare Adult Day Services in Kingwood while they go off to work or run errands. At the center, the participants enjoy crafts, exercise, games, socialization with their peers – and sometimes a little cake too.

After two years in business, SarahCare has seen the demand for its services nearly double since opening, says Executive Director Lisa Suarez. She attributes the growth to more awareness about day care being an option for the elderly who want to still live at home but cannot be left alone during the day.

SarahCare, a state-licensed franchise of a 22-year-old Ohio-based company, is part of a national trend. Adult day services are springing up nationwide in response to the needs of the baby boom population caught in the “sandwich generation” – those who are forced to care for their aging parents while they are still parenting their own children.

In honor of Older Americans Month in May, SarahCare is starting a Caregiver Support Group. The first meeting will be Sat., May 17 at 9:30 a.m. at the SarahCare center. “Caregivers will receive emotional support and advice in addressing the unique problems of caring for the elderly,” says Suarez.

A recent Wall Street Journal article reported that adult day centers are “becoming an increasingly important player in the burgeoning business of elder care.” By some industry estimates, adult day care serves about 400,000 people nationally.

This is still a relatively small number, says Suarez, considering the rapid growth of the elderly population. Individuals 65 and older represented 12.4 percent of the U.S. population in the year 2000 but are expected to grow to be 20 percent of the population by 2030, according to The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services.

Suarez believes that the slow acceptance rate is a result of misconceptions about adult day care which she has had to confront in getting her business established. “People tend to think day care is child-like care – and it’s not,” she states.

Adult day care is more than a sitter service, offering everything from medication management and physical therapy to nursing care, exercise and grooming. SarahCare has a full activities calendar, ranging from nature walks to indoor baseball, to accommodate different levels of ability and interest. The constant activities and stimulation keeps the participants engaged and alert, notes Suarez.

The cost of adult day care depends on what support the senior needs, says Suarez. If the senior remains relatively independent, they may attend an adult day care facility such as SarahCare. That will cost approximately $65 per day. By contrast, a senior requiring a minimal amount of assistance from an in-home care agency will spend up to $20 per hour. Some insurance companies will pay for adult day services.

“I can’t afford to have someone come in and sit with my mother all day while I’m at work,” says Jan Dowdy whose mother has attended SarahCare since 2006. “With SarahCare, I’m confident that my mother is in a safe and secure situation. I’d worry about her if she was left home by herself.” SarahCare is open Monday- Friday from 7 a.m. to 6 p.m. While some participants come all five days, others attend just a couple times a week – whatever works best for the family.

To sign up for the SarahCare Caregiver Support Group or a complimentary half-day trial, contact Suarez at 281-361-7000 or mlisas1019@aol.com. The Center is located at the Northpark Plaza Shopping Center in Kingwood near Luby’s restaurant. For more information, visit www.sarahcare.com.

To signify commitment to the adopted grandparent, each child drew his/her hand on paper and drew the hand of his/her adopted grandparent side-by-side.  They spent time talking to each other and sharing family stories regarding their own grannies. This no doubt brought harmony and richness to the kids’ educational experience.

After presenting their adopted grandparent the artwork  which they specially prepared for the occasion, they ate cookies together and sang a few songs.  As they hugged and kissed their grandparent, the kids promised to come back in a month.

The intergenerational activity was a culmination of the National Adult Day Services Week that is celebrated annually since it was proclaimed on September 27, 1983, by former President Ronald Regan. The week is set aside to raise awareness of the availability and accessibility of adult day programs nationwide.

SarahCare appreciates Primrose’s initiative to increase the seniors’ feelings of self-worth while also helping the children acquire more positive perceptions of older adults and more knowledge of aging.  In celebration of the “National Aging In Place Week” in October, SarahCare offers prospective (not currently-registered) participants 50% discount on the basic rate (with a 2-day/week minimum enrollment) for the month of October. SarahCare is located at the Northpark Plaza (Kingwood), next to Luby’s.  For more information, please call Executive Director Lisa Suarez at 281/361-7000 or visit www.sarahcare.com.

SarahCare, which helps seniors with the daily tasks of living while also enhancing the richness of their lives through their services. plans to conduct this Caregiver Series on a quarterly basis.  To receive an announcement for future dates, please call Lisa Suarez at 281/361-7000 or mlisas1019@aol.com.

AFA’s National Commemorative Candle Lighting occurs during National Alzheimer’s Disease Awareness Month.  SarahCare Adult Day Care, Silverado and Visiting Angels, LSA will jointly hold its candle lighting ceremony at the Kingwood First Baptist Church (3500 Woodland Hills Dr., Kingwood, Texas) on Thursday. November 19, 2009 at 6:30 pm.  The ceremony will feature a candle lighting,  messages from  Marie Whitson (a caregiver and Regional Marketing Director of Rosemont Assisted Living) and Rev. John Burris (Associate Pastor of Kingwood First Baptist Church) and a reading of names.  For more information, please call Lisa Suarez at 281/361-7000.

Hundreds of organizations from coast to coast will similarly hold inspirational ceremonies on the same week. It is the 7^th year that AFA is sponsoring the annual event. “By bringing communities together in prayer, these ceremonies are very therapeutic for families who have been affected by this heartbreaking disease,” said Eric J. Hall, AFA’s chief executive officer. “Moreover, the event powerfully calls attention to the need to join together to press for optimal care in addition to a cure.”

Alzheimer’s disease, which results in loss of memory and other intellectual functions, currently affects an estimated five million Americans, including one in ten aged 65 and older. The number of cases is projected to triple by mid-century, especially with aging baby boomers.

National Commemorative Candle Lighting is one of several of AFA’s ongoing initiatives to raise awareness of Alzheimer’s disease and related illnesses on a grand scale. On November 15, sites across the nation will provide free confidential memory screenings and education about healthy aging as part of AFA’s annual National Memory Screening Day.

AFA, based in New York, is a national nonprofit organization that unites member organizations across North America with the goal of providing optimal care to individuals with Alzheimer’s disease and related illnesses, and their families. Its services include a toll-free hot line, educational materials, a free quarterly magazine for caregivers, and professional training. For more information about AFA and its November events, call toll-free 866-AFA-8484 or visit www.alzfdn.org.