The following news release is from North End Waterfront Health announcing the closure of the Adult Day Care Program at Villa Michelangelo.
NORTH END WATERFRONT HEALTH
ADULT DAY HEALTH CENTER CLOSING
The North End Waterfront Health’s (NEW Health) Adult Day Health Center opened in 1983 and has since provided clients with a safe haven to support optimal well-being with personalized health care plans, engaging activities, nutritious food, and ample opportunities for social interaction. Family members or friends who provided care at home received a much needed respite and were comforted to know their loved ones were in good hands. The program staff includes a nurse, a social worker, an activities coordinator, a secretary, and a van driver to transport clients to and from the facility.
In recent years, the North End/Waterfront community has seen a sharp decline in the elder population, and despite the Health Center’s best efforts, the program has suffered significant financial losses. In September of 2012, the program lost grant funding that was used to subsidize several clients in the program. The Health Center finds that the program is no longer financially sustainable. Of the 18 eligible clients in the program, only 8 are from the North End/Waterfront.
Proposed changes in regulations that govern adult day centers that will require that all centers be located on ground-floor levels with windows. Our facility has neither. New regulations will further require additional staffing, which is not financially feasible for the Health Center.
The official closing date of the program via the license with the Department of Elder Affairs is March 1, 2013; however, clients who are currently enrolled in the program will be reassigned to appropriate local centers. NEW Health has already begun to work with families to determine the best course of action for each individual patient. Some reassignments may occur prior to March 1, 2013, and if all are completed prior to then, the program will close sooner.
NEW Health will continue other programs dedicated to North End and Waterfront elders, which include our homemaker program, home visiting program, and elder transportation. The Health Center remains committed to providing a network of support and addressing health and social support issues for older residents.
