A day program started in Colonie for seniors suffering from the early stages of dementia and Alzheimer’s will be expanding to a location in Guilderland.
Bright Horizons, an adult daycare program from Colonie Senior Service Center, will be opening in New Karner Plaza in Guilderland in an effort to help more seniors and their caretakers.
“We looked at whether we should start to look outside the borders of the Town of Colonie,” said Executive Director at the Colonie Senior Service Center Ed Neary regarding the decision to expand. “While most of the services we provide are for people who are in or come to Colonie, we still provide some services to neighboring communities like Guilderland.”
The Bright Horizons program has been growing since it was created in 1983 at Beltrone Living Center. In 1985, the program expanded to include a second facility, which it eventually outgrew, necessitating a move to the Pine Grove facility. In 2007, the program had outgrown its Pine Grove building, prompting the organization to seek a bigger space outside the borders of Colonie. They eventually settled on the Karner Road building, which is more accessible than the previous building. The original program still operates at the Beltrone Living Center.
Neary said that while Colonie Senior Service Center offers some programs in Guilderland and there are some great programs provided by the town of Guilderland, there currently isn’t an adult day care program in the town. By moving closer to the seniors, the program can help more people.
“I think some people in the Guilderland community are looking and saying, ‘Well I’ve got to go all the way into Colonie,’ and the toss up may not seem like a lot, but for elderly people, it’s everyday and they have to negotiate the transportation,” said Neary.
The senior center is also into expanding to the Clifton Park area, but Neary said finding an affordable location can be the most challenging aspect of opening up a new center. The cost of the daily service provided by Bright Horizons is around $40, while the New York state average is generally closer to $70.
“It’s a challenge for us to say, ‘why not move the rate up to the going rate to be able to afford these places?’ The problem is you can no longer handle the people who are just barely able to make it and people who are struggling from an income standpoint. So, it’s always a balance trying to figure out how to make it work,” said Neary.
One of the main objectives of the program is to make seniors feel comfortable like they are in a home setting and not in a hospital so the new facility will resemble a home as much as possible. The site, which is in the final phases of being remodeled and will open March 17, will have couches, comfortable chairs, a cooking area and areas for activities.
“We want it to feel like a home because many of the people who are part of the program are folks who are starting to go through some of the aging challenges, including dementia or Alzheimer’s. So, we don’t want to add anymore confusion or change to what they are already experiencing,” said Neary.
The program is a way to offer a break from the primary caregiver, who is usually the son or daughter of the person in need of care. Some of the caregivers are in what’s called the sandwich generation, meaning they just got done caring for their children and now are caring for their parents and trying to finish their careers. The caretakers can drop the seniors off around 8 a.m. and pick them up around 5 p.m.
“You don’t have to do it alone. There are lots of resources and programs that are out there. Whether it is a day program like Bright Horizons or it’s transportation or it’s Guilderland Seniors, there are lots of senior providers out there that can help,” said Neary.
More information on Bright Horizons can be found at www.brighthorizonssocialcenters.org.