Shapiro-Rudolph Adult Day Center celebrates Adult Day Health
Adult Day Health is truly celebrated every week at the Shapiro-Rudolph Adult Day Center in Swampscott, its leader says.
June Davis, Swampscott resident and director of the Day Center, has been with S-RADC since its founding in 1982 as one of the original day programs for elders in Massachusetts. Davis began her work with the Jewish Rehabilitation Center in 1979 as a consultant and joined S-RADC in 1982 as activities director. She took a hiatus to raise her family and launch her own business which she operated for several years. Ultimately Davis returned to S-RADC as activities director in 1991. She was named director of S-RADC in 1992 and has witnessed much change and growth throughout the years.
According to the National Adult Day Services Association, changes in day services have occurred for many reasons including:
· Increase in working caregivers, daughters, sons and spouses
· Increase in persons with Alzheimer’s and other dementia
· Persons with developmental disabilities living longer with better medical and social care
· Increase in desire of older adults to remain in their communities
· Decrease in support for facility-based care by law makers and policy makers
· Increase in new populations wanting community based services.
When S-RADC first opened it had a certification for 30 people. Today the certification has increased to 60.
An extended day program has been added to accommodate working caregivers.
More medical services continue to be added including medication management, on-site physical, occupational and speech therapy; on-site medical services including lab, podiatry and pharmacy; personal care services including showers, shaving and nail care; restorative programming and support services. Since Shapiro-Rudolph Adult Day Center is part of Aviv Centers for Living, clients of S-RADC also have access to the continuum of care offered by Aviv Centers for Living including short-term rehabilitation services and home care management.
Davis sees the mission of S-RADC as two-fold: both helping the client to remain in his or her home and also to provide relief for the caregiver. Asked what the best part of her job is, Davis smiles broadly and says, “When a family member comes up to me and says, ‘You’ve given my mother back to me,’ I feel wonderful that we have helped someone who has been depressed or felt isolated become engaged in life and find joy again.”
To learn more about the Shapiro-Rudolph Adult Day program, call Davis at 781-973-1580 or e-mail her at jdavis@avivliving.org.
