When caregivers need a break.
Your aging parent lives with you. You need to work or you need to run an errand or you have an appointment. What do you do if you can’t leave them alone? Or maybe your elderly parent lives alone and needs more care and social interaction.
There are options! You could hire a professional caregiver to come to the home. But if you’d like to give your aging parent a change of scenery and other seniors to interact with there are places that offer respite care or programs similar to the Day Care or Mother’s Day Out many used with their children.
Some churches and community organizations offer these types of programs. So does Town Square. It’s a Senior Day Center that takes you back in time. It has locations in Georgia, New Jersey, Maryland, Florida and Texas.
Kim Barnes of Parenting Aging Parents stopped by the new location in Austin, Texas for a tour with co-owner Elisa Reodica. This Town Square location is open to all seniors but specializes in Dementia and Alzheimer’s Care. They discuss the help services like this can provide, who benefits most and how they use reminiscence therapy to engage those with Alzheimer’s or other forms of Dementia.
Read the full transcript
Transcript of Interview: “Adult Day Care Programs”
Kim Barnes:
If you are a full-time caregiver, especially if you have an aging parent living with you, you may find yourself sometimes thinking, “I just need a little bit of a break.” You may have looked around and had a hard time finding places to take your loved one if they can’t stay at home by themselves or you just don’t want them to have to stay at home by themselves. Some churches have programs, and there are other places that might be available. Here is a brand new one that just opened in Austin. It’s called Town Square. There are others around the country as well, and I’m joined today by Elisa Reodica. You’re one of the co-owners of Town Square here. You definitely feel like you have stepped back in time here.
Elisa Reodica:
Yes, yes. We definitely wanted to create an atmosphere where we can transport our members back into a time where they have their strongest memories. That’s why we created a town that’s a 1950s style, and it just really helps with the reminiscence therapy approach to our activities here.
Kim Barnes:
So, we’re going to take a little bit of a tour and talk a bit about why this respite care is so important for both the caregiver and the older adult as well. Let’s start here. A lot of the activities are dementia-related, correct? You want to try to help support people who might have dementia.
Elisa Reodica:
Absolutely. We are open to all seniors, but we do specialize in dementia and Alzheimer’s care. We are able to help with their cognition levels and lengthen their lives by enriching them with activities, engagement, and socialization. That’s the key piece here—to have them out of their homes so they have activities during the day.
Kim Barnes:
We can hear the activities going on behind us. You try to have lots of different activities they can do and at different levels.
Elisa Reodica:
Yes, we do. We have restorative activities, leisure activities, productive activities, and also activities that involve wellness and self-care.
Kim Barnes:
You have music and other things that can help bring back some of those memories as well.
Elisa Reodica:
Yes, absolutely. We try to do memory activities and things they may have done earlier in their lives where they can elaborate. Physical activities are always good too.
Kim Barnes:
This room really transports you.
Elisa Reodica:
Yes, this is our little blue house, reminiscent of a home back in the 1950s. It’s cozy and comfortable, a place where they can rest if they need to.
Kim Barnes:
Now we just call that retro.
Elisa Reodica:
Exactly.
Kim Barnes:
Talk a bit about where you and your siblings came up with being part of this and its importance to you. This came from personal experience.
Elisa Reodica:
Yes, it did. As a family, our father suffered a massive stroke a couple of years ago. We are all working children and needed a place for him to go during the daytime while we were at work. Instead of hiring a private caregiver, we wanted him to thrive somewhere with support and care. There weren’t many options in Austin, so when we came across this idea, we decided to give back to the community and serve other families needing the same care.
Kim Barnes:
And know that they’re having a lot of fun at the same time.
Elisa Reodica:
Yes, absolutely. But it’s not just about fun. We’re working on their physical condition as well.
Kim Barnes:
You actually want to start their morning with some exercise—chair yoga, sit and be fit, or a drum circle—and get their bodies moving rather than sitting at home alone or watching TV. You want to interact with them.
Elisa Reodica:
Yes, definitely. We want to interact with them and keep them active.
Kim Barnes:
Even for those who live with their aging parent and are working full-time, whether back in the office or remotely, you feel bad because they might be sitting and watching television. You want them to feel like they have something fun to do. Even if you’re not working full-time, you might need a little break to run errands. It’s like when my kids were little, they went to Mother’s Day Out because I needed time to run errands and get to the grocery store. This is like caregivers’ day out in some ways, right?
Elisa Reodica:
Absolutely. Most of our members still live at home, so it’s nice to take them somewhere safe where they interact with others their age, providing respite for their caregivers.
Kim Barnes:
That’s the theater—it’s dark in there.
Elisa Reodica:
Yes, that’s the theater.
Kim Barnes:
You do a lot to bring back memories, like the City Hall.
Elisa Reodica:
Yes, we have our Wall of Honor to honor our veterans. This is also where we have our nurse’s station. We have an office space for those who may have had a desk job at one point in their lives. We can give them light activities like sorting papers or being a volunteer to keep them productive.
Kim Barnes:
Keep them busy.
Elisa Reodica:
Absolutely.
Kim Barnes:
A lot of people who could benefit from respite care are those who live with their children or live at home by themselves. Their adult children want them to have something else to do besides being at home.
Elisa Reodica:
That’s right.
Kim Barnes:
A little pet store or pet shop.
Elisa Reodica:
Yes, this is our pet shop. It’s one of our rest areas where they can watch a movie and rest if they feel tired.
Kim Barnes:
And, of course, there has to be a good old-fashioned diner.
Elisa Reodica:
Yes, we serve breakfast, lunch, and a snack here. We sit with our members, socialize, and have a nice meal.
Kim Barnes:
One of the most important things to think about is just the benefits of getting out and doing things. What do you see for the seniors?
Elisa Reodica:
I see our members thriving. I see their personalities coming out. At home, they may be quiet or timid, but here, they thrive with other members, share experiences, and enjoy each other’s company.
Kim Barnes:
What do you say to adult children who want their parents to get out and do things, but their parents would rather stay at home?
Elisa Reodica:
We have them come in for a tour. We love them to see it in person because it’s unique and transports you to a different time. We also do trial days for potential members to experience it. Usually, it’s a sure thing, and they see their loved ones happy and enjoying themselves.
Kim Barnes:
As the adult child, what could we say to our parent who might be hesitant? How would you explain it to them?
Elisa Reodica:
Explain it as a brain boot camp or a place of socialization. Some families call it the club where they can socialize with other members and enjoy their time here. It’s safe and carefree.
Kim Barnes:
Thanks so much for showing us around.
Elisa Reodica:
Absolutely.
Kim Barnes:
This definitely transports you back in time. Hopefully, this shows that there are places where your aging parent can go to get interaction and socialization, giving you a break when you need it as well.
*This transcript is auto-generated. Please excuse any typos or mistakes.
