Caring for Woodbury’s Elderly Residents

Sharyl Kaase has a problem—one that many of us either have or will face at some point in our lives. Kaase’s elderly mother lives in Southwest Minnesota and has her entire life. Her mother’s now-adult children live mostly in the Twin Cities, and as she ages, they are struggling with care options to best fit her needs. Do they uproot her from her home in a rural community to bring her to the city? Do they leave her at home far away from her children? Kaase is still searching for an answer. As the director of community-based programs for Cerenity Senior Care, Kaase is well-versed in the problem of finding care for seniors. She sees people struggling with it every day.

“More than anything, it’s about keeping people in their own homes,” Kaase says of her work. “Keeping them in their communities, parishes, and with doctors that they are familiar with and who have been their support system for so many years.”

 Cerenity’s DayAway is one of a growing number of programs in Woodbury that provide professional, compassionate day services for seniors in hospitable and safe environments, while giving caregivers a break. The program offers half- or full-day options, providing therapeutic and recreation activities; continental breakfast, lunch and access to Catholic Mass are also available. DayAway is primarily for individuals who struggle with memory loss; many of the folks live by themselves or have a caregiver, but use the program as a way of getting out of the house and socializing with their peers. 

Carolyn Klaver is manager for The Gathering, another Woodbury program under the guidance of staff from Lyngblomsten Services that works with elderly residents struggling with early to mid-stage memory loss. Unlike DayAway, the Gathering is a more stimulating one-on-one program where each participant has a volunteer to work with them on mental and motor skills. It’s offered twice a month, for five hours of cognitive and social stimulation each time.

“What happens often with people with memory loss, as they struggle with losing short-term memory, they often will isolate themselves,” Klaver says. “As they decrease social activities with friends, their life becomes pretty isolated around what is available in the home. Many then sleep too long and nap throughout the day out of boredom.”

 Both DayAway and The Gathering have ties to churches, although neither is affiliated with a religious group. DayAway is held at Saint Ambrose of Woodbury Catholic Community and opened last December. The Gathering already has nine programs in 30 churches around the metro; its new Woodbury program opens this month, meeting at Woodbury Baptist Church and supported by Woodbury Baptist, Woodbury Peaceful Grove United Methodist and Trinity Presbyterian churches.

Junis Humphrey is a participant in the DayAway program. “I’m 83 years old and I feel 70,” she says. “It’s a really nice place for me to come and everyone around is so friendly.”

For people like Humphrey, the care is invaluable, and both programs help the seniors who attend as well as their caregivers. 

“People want to stay home,” Kaase says. “Their houses are paid for, they love their neighborhood and this gives them that little bit of an outlet where they can be successful. These [adult day programs] give them just enough of an outlet and provide services that allow them to live in their homes longer.” 

Often caregivers, be it a friend, relative or professional, will get so wrapped up in working with the person they care for, they won’t take time for themselves. These programs allow caregivers a periodic break to focus on their own needs, rather than spending all their time focusing on others. In the end, everyone benefits.