Adult day centers open in Malone, Akwesasne

By DENISE A. RAYMO
Staff Writer

April 16, 2008 04:00 am

— MALONE -- Mention the Grand Ole Opry to Joan Lavoie, and she lights up, moving in her seat and swaying her arms as if she were at a concert.
She listens to a CD and is able to sing along with Patsy Cline and others country-western stars from her youth.
But ask her to remember what happened 30 minutes ago, and she may get a faraway look in her eye and grow quiet.
Memory lapses and forgetfulness happen to all of us, but both can become more pronounced the older we get, in the form of Alzheimer's disease or other forms of dementia that can be caused by a stroke or other issues.
It's frustrating for the senior going through such a transition, but it is also stressful for the families and caregivers who are adjusting to a person's changing needs.
GROUP ACTIVITIES
Two new facilities in northern Franklin County now offer services, support and activities to help seniors stay sharp and to give those who love them a little time away from their constant responsibilities.
Third Age Adult Day Center is open Monday, Wednesday and Friday from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. in Malone on the grounds of Alice Hyde Medical Center and on Tuesdays and Thursdays from 10:30 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. at the Akwesasne Senior Center.
Each senior is included in group activities that could include a crafting project or crocheting, yoga instruction, jewelry making, music therapy and any other stimulation that will help keep their minds busy.
There are also memory exercises and opportunities for the seniors to interact with each other, sharing their stories and experiences with one another and the staff.
Valerie Drown is the coordinator for the two centers and is based at the initial Third Age Adult Day Center in Plattsburgh; all three are programs of the Alzheimer's Disease and Assistance Center at Plattsburgh State.
While gathering information on memory patients and their needs at the Plattsburgh office, the staff learned there was a real need for the same type of services in Franklin County.
HOT LUNCHES
Drown said the agency secured a $90,000 grant through an Office for the Aging program to open each center, which can accommodate up to 12 people a day.
"We were finding people weren't getting very much socialization with other people or they were lonely or they just wanted to be more active, but couldn't be by themselves," she said.
Staff members engage the seniors throughout the day, and a hot lunch is provided through the local Meals on Wheels program.
"A lot of people don't know what to expect when they hear about adult day care," Drown said.
"We didn't realize how much this place was needed until we had it," said Cynthia Tarbell, director of the Tsi Tetewatatkens Senior Citizens Center at Akwesasne, where that Day Center is located.
She said elders on the St. Regis Mohawk Indian Reservation came to the center in the past, "but they were not stimulated, and some isolated themselves."
A person can come to either center for the entire day or for just a few hours while a caregiver takes a few hours off for a doctor's appointment or other engagement.
Lavoie's caregiver needed a few hours to do some grocery shopping and other errands before collecting her again, and that gave her a chance to talk with a reporter, do some exercises and make a magnet using a small thermometer and shaped wood.
"We are blessed to have her," said Mary Simmons, director at the Malone center.
NICE ATMOSPHERE
Malone staff member Mary Anne Niles pointed out the overstuffed sofa and love seat, large activities tables in a pleasant atmosphere.
The center is awaiting delivery of a van that will allow the staff to take clients out to craft fairs, flea markets and other events or just to the park, where they can feed the birds and enjoy the outdoors.
For more information about the centers, call Valerie Drown at 564-3377, the Malone center at 483-0390 or the center in Akwesasne at 358-2963.
draymo@pressrepublican.com

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