Adult Day Services in Washington County offers daily supervised care for the elderly and emotionally, mentally or physically handicapped adults.
Funding from the Elizabethton/Carter County United Way aids the agency is providing the many services it does for its clients, ADS director Pam Gardner.
Around 1 percent, or close to $9,000, of the Services’ budget comes from the Elizabethton United Way. Adult Day Services began receiving funding from United Way less than five years ago.
“We offer programs for adults who are physically, mentally or emotionally handicapped, or are frail due to their age,” Gardner said. “Many of our clients are at risk of being institutionalized. Our goal is to keep them safe, while building their skills and keeping them out of long-term care for as long as possible.”
Adult Day Services offers round-trip transportation to and from the center, nutritious meals and snacks, daily enrichment programs, daily socialization and exercise, planned activities, individualized care plans and help with personal tasks, such as medication, insurance forms and bills.
By offering the range of options, Gardner said the agency was able to take some of the daily stress off of family caregivers.
“It really does help the person or the family of the client,” she said. “Many promise that they will never put their family member in a nursing home. This helps provide the care they need during the delay and delay that possibility for some time.”
Almost a third of the Adult Day Services’ clients are from Carter County. The agency services Carter, Greene, Sullivan, Unicoi and Washington counties. At the end of January, 46 clients were enrolled at Adult Day Services and 13 of those were from Carter County, Gardner said.
Clients come to Adult Day Services through recommendations from Veterans Administration, Adult Protective Services and from private applications.
Adult Day Services gets its funding from several sources, which Gardner noted had seen one increase in 20 years. She said without the support of the United Way programs like those at Adult Day Service would not be available for the community.
“We use the United Way money to help offset the cost of the transportation service we use to get our clients here,” Gardner said. “The United Way funding helps get our clients here so they can access the other services we offer. The United Way is something I believe in. Supporting the United Way is a good way to support the services in a community.”
For more information contact Adult Day Services at 423-461-8200. To make a contribution to the United Way call 543-6975.