UpDate - Vol. 14, No. 31, Page 3
May 11, 1995
Making plans; Adult day care program moving to new center

     The University of Delaware Adult Day Care Center will move in
February to new, state-of-the-art accommodations in the Newark Senior
Center complex, under construction on Marrows Road.
     Currently housed on the ground floor of a Univeristy building on
South Chapel Street, the center began operation in 1984.
     Anne Camasso, center director for six years, has a staff of
eight, including a secretary, an activities assistant, two nurses with
specialized master's degrees, a licensed practical nurse, a food
service worker and two drivers. They, in addition to five volunteers
from the Retired Senior Volunteer Program and students and interns
provide daytime service to about 27 elderly individuals each weekday,
from 8 a.m.-4 p.m.
     The philosophy of the center, Camasso said, is to provide a
therapeutic and caring environment for seniors living in community
settings, who are in need of a structured environment during the day.
     "As part of that goal," Camasso said, "we offer respite to the
care-givers and we also offer individuals an opportunity to be in a
supervised social setting during the day. Both of these are very
important."
     Camasso described those who attend the center as persons who need
assistance in personal care, taking medications and some who need to
be prevented from wandering away and hurting themselves.
     "A degree of supervision is involved," she said. "They are
considered a frail population. Many have experienced some medical
trauma, including such things as a stroke or heart attack, or they are
suffering from Parkinson's or Alzheimer's disease. Because of the
effects of these medical situations, they need to be in a supervised
environment. But, for many, the care is more social than medical."
     The move to the Newark Senior Center will have many advantages,
including the location of the adult day care center in the new
building.
     The area, which will exceed the minimum requirements of the
Americans with Disabilities Act, is designed to meet the needs of the
Adult Day Care Center's population.
     The College of Nursing, under the direction of Lucille Pulliam,
an associate professor, has submitted a grant request to the federal
government to establish a Healthy Elder-Adults Learning Through
Holistic Healthcare (HEALTH) Center at the Newark Senior Center.
     If funding is received, there will be significant opportunities
for the adult day-care population. In addition, Camasso said, the
HEALTH Center's connection with the University will encourage
interdisciplinary programs involving specific health care study and
research with oldr persons.
     "A major emphasis at the Adult Day Care Center," Camasso said,
"has been maintaining the wellness of our participants. The new
facility expands the wellness and health promotion concept."
     The opportunities at the new facility, an "educational and health
care environment" where a broad range of individuals from various
disciplines will be able to serve and learn from the elderly
population, will be significant, she said.
     Another potential benefit of the move, she said, will be the
interaction of healthy senior center members with the Adult Day Care
Center community.
     Peer counseling, on issues related to the loss of a spouse,
reduced independence and dealing with depression and physical
problems, is planned. While this program is not specifically designed
for individuals in adult day care, Camasso said, some of her
participants may be able to take advantage of the service.
     "The participation by the city of Newark, the University and the
Newark Senior Center, as far as we know, is a one-of-a-kind venture,"
Camasso said. "We are not aware of three partners coming together to
provide opportunities for the geriatric population anywhere else in
the country. We see this as a novel approach, and it should be of
interest to others in the field throughout the country."
                                                         -Ed Okonowicz