Circle of Care’s Adult Day Program provides compassionate care for seniors and respite for their families.
When Farrah Campbell’s mother Lucita was diagnosed with Alzheimer’s disease, she and her husband David knew it was going to be a long road. “As a growing acceptance of our reality slowly took root, it became evident to us that over time we were not going to be able to do this alone,” says Farrah. “We were going to need help. A lot of help.”
As the months and years went by, the Campbells tried as best they could to manage the demands of being Lucita’s caregivers while maintaining work and family life. Like many families coping with having a loved one diagnosed with Alzheimer’s, they relied on family members and personal support workers to help share the load.
Over the last five years, Lucita has attended the Adult Day Program (ADP) provided by Circle of Care.
The ADP provides an opportunity for older adults living at home to have “a day out,” participate in social programming and connect with peers in a safe and supportive environment. This helps preserve clients’ levels of mental and physical functioning while providing caregivers with the peace of mind to take much-needed time for themselves.
Thanks in part to donor support, Circle of Care recently moved to a new space within the Joseph & Wolf Lebovic Jewish Community Campus, which doubles the number of people the program can help. The 7,200-square-foot space was built to be homelike, friendly, inviting and non-institutional as well as to meet specific safety and accessibility needs. Other unique features include an outdoor garden court, exercise room and multi-purpose spa area.
For the Campbells, the ADP is a lifeline. “It has been our experience that it takes a very special person to choose to be a caregiver as a career, continually having to find new reserves of strength to maintain the joy that comes from selfless occupation,” says Farrah. “We are the very blessed recipients of having an entire staff of these very special people who take care of our mother each day she attends.”
The ADP’s mission is to provide joy, community and purpose to people living with dementia – as well as their caregivers – honouring the whole person, past and present. This approach aligns with the Campbells’ experience. Farrah says her mother is always greeted by name and with a beaming smile. “We know that every time we drop her off, she is safe, she is cared for, she is loved,” Farrah says. “What more could one desire for their loved one than for them to be treated in such a dignified manner?”
