Raising awareness of the disease that steals it

November 5, 2010
by Susan Carpenter

November is National Alzheimer’s Disease Awareness Month, not something so much to celebrate as to remember.  Some of us who have cared for older loved ones who suffered from some form of dementia will remember them at a candle lighting ceremony at My Second Home in Mount Kisco on Friday, November 12, from 6:00 p.m. to 8:00 p.m.

Alzheimer’s disease will touch all of us at some point in our lives.  My Second Home is a place where people at various stages of Alzheimer’s find a safe and caring community that helps provide social interaction and meaning and helps families provide for their loved ones in the community instead of having to lock them away in institutions.

The elderly who attend My Second Home are greeted each day with a smile, made to feel welcome and respected.  They are provided with nutritious meals and choices of activities to keep them engaged. And they get to participate in an inter-generational program with the children at Mt. Kisco Day Care Center, who not only enrich their lives but learn from these “grandmas and grandpas” about the continuum of life.  I know, because my mother went there for five years while she lived with it’s in some way my second home as well. So come to the candle lighting ceremony and remember someone in your life who has had or is dealing with Alzheimer’s.

My Second home is located at 95 Radio Circle, out past the Mt. Kisco Post Office, all the way to the end of the street. To speak with someone about enrolling a someone you care for in My Second Home, call Rina Bellamy at (914) 241-0770, or email her at .(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address). Below are some facts about My Second Home and about Altzheimer’s Disease.

MY SECOND HOME KEY FACTS

WHO WE ARE

: My Second Home is a ten-year-old social model adult day program that provides a safe, nurturing and home-like environment for older adults to continue to find meaning and dignity in their daily lives.  It provides impaired older adults the opportunity to age in place, while supporting and strengthening the family system of caregivers who wish to keep loved ones at home and engaged in the community.  Wellness activities, personal care, a warm and stimulating environment, excellent nutrition and transportation that is “living room to living room” are offered to our participants.

WHO ATTENDS

: 90 older adults are currently enrolled.  This year our oldest participant is 98 and our youngest is 51.  70% of our participants are women, 30% are men; 80% have some cognitive impairment; 36% have been diagnosed with Alzheimer’s disease.  40% receive some reduction of fees due to their financial status.

WHY WE ARE UNIQUE

:  MSH is an exciting, innovative model that combines adult day care with an inter-generational program.  We share a site with Mount Kisco Child Care Center that was specially designed and constructed to promote interactions between the generations.  We are among only a handful of shared site inter-generational programs in the nation, and no other, as far as we know has a purpose built facility.  The JEWEL Program, Joining Elders with Early Learners, brings older adults and children together on a daily basis to share activities as well as life experiences.  A recent Fordham University study demonstrated participants experience an increased sense of well being and greater satisfaction with life, while children experience the sense of security and self-worth that a caring relationship with a senior can provide.

AWARDS

: 
2010 Alzheimer’s Foundation of America Qualified Dementia Care Provider.
2010 Recognized by the Alliance for Children & Families as an Innovative Model of care for Older Adults
2008 National Best Practices Award Winner by The MetLife Foundation and Generations United
2007 Non-Profit Agency of the Year, Mount Kisco Chamber of Commerce

WHY WE ARE IMPORTANT:  As a social model adult program we fill a significant gap in services for older adults between senior centers and much more costly medical models of care.  As such, we allow impaired older adults to remain with their families and engaged in their community. 
• MSH is one of only 4 social model day programs in the County
• Social model day programs are less expensive than medical model day programs
• We are one third the cost of in-home care
• We are one fifth the cost of nursing home care
• Social model adult day programs are not currently Medicaid reimbursable, while more expensive models are.
• Older adults do better when they are able to age in place and be active in their families and home communities
• We provide essential respite care for family members so that they can continue to work, maintain wellness and care for young children.
• Our innovative inter-generational program has demonstrated positive outcomes for older adults as well as children

WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW

:
• By the year 2020, 55 million Americans will be over the age of 65.
• 18 to 20% of older adults are estimated to suffer from depression.
• Every 70 seconds someone in America develops Alzheimer’s disease – by 2050 it will be every 33 seconds.
• In 2005, Medicare spent $91 billion on beneficiaries with Alzheimer’s and other dementias.  That number is expected to double by 2015.
• The above statistics predict a devastating financial crisis that will grow with each passing year.

• Socialization, exercise, and good nutrition are the best ways to delay the natural progression of Alzheimer’s disease.
• A five year delay of onset would save the US $8.51 trillion.
• WE CAN DO BETTER and we are at MY SECOND HOME!

My Second Home is a program of Family Services of Westchester

FSW established in 1954, is a non-profit mental health and social services agency dedicated to strengthening and supporting children, families and individuals at every stage of the life cycle.  FSW is at the forefront of developing high-quality, innovative programs that help seniors live their live their later years with dignity.