In 2017, Deb was going through a hard time in her life. Through a series of circumstances, she discovered ElderONE and decided to give it a try.
Four years later, Deb is flourishing and enjoying the time she has with the friends she has made.
Learning about ElderONE
Several years ago, Deb was deeply depressed, as her best friend had just passed away.
While out for a drive, her sister saw a sign for ElderONE and its services at the Silver Hill campus in Newark. When she got home, Deb’s sister called her and told her this might be just what she needed.
“At first I said, ‘Senior day care? Are you nuts?,’” Deb said. “’Wait a minute, I’m not old!’”
After a tour of the campus and meeting some of the staff, Deb enrolled in ElderONE in August 2017. Since that time, she said, her social life has only improved.
“The more I was here, the more I liked it,” Deb said. “Otherwise I was just sitting at home and I was just bored and depressed.”
Activities & services you need
As a Program of All-Inclusive Care for the Elderly (PACE), ElderONE combines medical, transportation, and personalized care services, so community members like Deb can continue to live at home and maintain their independence without compromise to their health or safety.
Deb spends about two days a week at the Silver Hill PACE center. While there, she enjoys adult coloring pages and working on craft projects, along with making ceramics and playing trivia games.
Through her Bible study and other group activities, Deb is able to have a robust social life.
In the time since Deb first started coming to the day center at Silver Hill, she has also been able to work with a Home Health Aide, a Home Care Registered Nurse, and some of the rehabilitation services to help improve the quality of her daily health.
“I’ve made a lot of friends,” Deb said. “I like everybody here – the staff, the participants. The more I was here, the more I just started making friends and opening up. It’s really been the best experience of my life. I love it here.”
Making life better
Overall, Deb has been able to improve her daily living. She fixes her own meals, and assists a caregiver with housekeeping – saying that she feels she takes better care of herself now.
Beyond the social activities during the week, the staff at ElderONE are able to coordinate her personal care services, medical appointments, medication delivery, and provide transportation to and from her medical appointments.
“Everybody from the staff to the transport people go out of their way to make sure you have everything you could possibly need,” Deb said. “They’re just willing to bend over backward and help you.”
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