For seven years, Shirley Jenkins has visited Ageless Harmony Adult Senior Day Care Center in West Lawn five days a week.
“I love watching all my friends having fun and having a good time,” says Jenkins with a smile, adding, “and I like when we do Bingo.”
Though Jenkins was able to started her own plant business, Shirley’s Unique Treasures Potted Flowers, last year, she recognized she needed extra care in her aging years, so she started attending Ageless Harmony.
“I call clients like Shirley our extra staff members,” says Demetrius Young, center staff for Ageless Harmony. “They help other clients, so it kind of helps us also.”
Daily Activities for Senior Care
After her morning snack, Jenkins joins 13 other seniors for group exercises. Led by center staffer Dianne Rotkiske, they perform a variety of exercises for their legs. Later, a ball is passed around by the group and laughs and smiles fill the room.
Jenkins must be closely watching the clock because when it ticks over to 11am, she announces it's time for The Price is Right. It seems to be the favorite time for many at Ageless Harmony, except for when it’s Bingo time, of course.
“Socialization is the biggest thing for them, but we also do crafts, group games, Bingo, Uno and exercises. It’s like a big party,” says Certified Nursing Assistant Sonia Grillo. Following lunch, Grillo joins clients as they work on puzzles and Manager Denise Oatman assists with crafts. She laughs amongst the group, her smile unwavering.
“How could you not love them when some of them you spend every day with? You can’t help it,” says Oatman. “You start to love their little quirks; you know what I mean? It’s important they know that we care about them, because they’re banking on us to keep them safe, too.”
All in the Family
Ageless Harmony got its start in 1998 when Erin and Bob Pettit, opened a small center in Laureldale with just nine clients. Chad Shrawder, Ageless Harmony’s current administrator, says his in-laws recognized a need for care for seniors in Berks County who couldn’t be left at home alone, but that weren’t ready for a nursing home setting.
For more than two decades, Ageless Harmony held strong. But when COVID-19 came, Shrawder had no choice but to close the then three centers. During this time, Ageless Harmony lost many clients, their facilities in Laureldale as well as Mount Penn, and endured tremendous financial impact.
Today, Ageless Harmony remains the sole senior day care center in Berks to survive the pandemic.
“Our staff is fantastic; they have been with us for a long time. They came back after COVID, and for those reasons in general, they really get to know the individual when they come to us, they become family,” says Shrawder.
The phrase “we’re all a big family” seems to resonate throughout Ageless Harmony, even as so much has changed.
Filling in the Gap
Adult day care programs like Ageless Harmony are an invaluable alternative to traditional long-term care placement. They provide much-needed support to family caregivers and can often lessen healthcare expenses for consumers and even the healthcare system. These programs are staffed by a full range of interdisciplinary professionals, providing clients with health monitoring, leisure activities, opportunities for socialization, and assistance with daily living activities.
Ageless Harmony serves a wide demographic of seniors, including those with developmental and intellectual disabilities, clients with dementia and Alzheimer’s, as well as others with a range of physical health conditions. Each staff member is CPR and First-Aid certified, along with Oatman and Grillo being medicine and diabetes certified. Additionally, visits from Senior Specialist Nurses ensure that each client is getting the proper care needed.
For caregivers, Ageless Harmony offers much-needed respite and access to supplementary networks and resources.
“It helps families get some time away from their elder family members so they don’t have that pressure on them all the time. They have jobs, lives to live,” says Young. The elder benefits as well, adds Brillo, as they are given time to socialize and enjoy special activities, opportunities they wouldn’t usually have at home.
Much of the appeal of Ageless Harmony also comes from its low cost when compared to other forms of senior care. “Ageless Harmony’s private pay rate is $75 a day, and lower for the state-set rate. As opposed to in-home care, you could be looking at anywhere between $25 to $40 an hour,” says Shrawder. This private pay rate equates to $375 a week or $18,750 a year. By comparison, according to Genworth Financial, the average cost for assisted living facilities is $54,000 annually, and the average nursing home cost comes in at a whopping $108,405.
Creating a Sense of Purpose
“Everyone here is fun to be around,” says Jenkins, “and that's really why I love coming here.” After The Price is Right, Jenkins returns to the group to help serve lunch and color. It’s these little things that are still giving her a sense of purpose late into her life. “Our goal is to keep everyone safe, happy and to keep them doing for themselves what they can for as long as they can,” says Oatman.
“We’ve had clients that came in depressed, but once they started coming in on a daily basis, they got so much better. They enjoy just getting out and being around people rather than being at home all day,” says Brillo. Above all else, adds Oatman, every client can be their individual selves. “We have clients that are nonverbal, have special needs or just forget what happens day by day. They meld and get along really well, the ones with special needs, the ones with Alzheimer’s and dementia, they blend together so well because they don’t judge each other.”
As caregivers begin to pick up their senior loved ones, they’re all greeted with a smile. Some share their craft, others talk about their day, but most importantly, they all look forward to coming back to Ageless Harmony. “They’re not just a face; we care about them,” says Shrawder. “You can be rest assured that at Ageless Harmony your loved one will be watched and cared for, not just by someone looking to line their pocket, but by somebody who cares.”
