Wheaton adult day care center wins Sunlight Award

Before Tony Winkler started coming to ESSE Adult Day Care Center in Wheaton 2½ years ago, he was alone during the day while his wife worked and he was depressed.

"I don't get out much because I don't drive," he said. "Very boring at home. You can only watch so much TV."

Noting his depression, his doctor recommended the day-care center. Winkler, 72, a former Wheaton resident who now lives in Aurora, comes three days a week to the center housed in St. Paul Lutheran Church.

"I love it," he said. "I can't say enough about this place."

Winkler also can't say enough about Cathy Davit, the executive director of ESSE whose dedication to providing caring support to older adults and their families recently earned her the state Sunlight Award. She received the award on Dec. 11 from the presidents of the Illinois Department of Aging and the Illinois Adult Day Care Services Association.

"She deserves it. She deserves two awards," Winkler said.

Winkler's wife, Joanne, couldn't agree more. Joanne said her husband, who has Alzheimer's and Parkinson's disease, just sits and stares when he's home.

"When he goes to the center, he's alive," she said. "I can see so much difference in him."

Initially, Winkler was reluctant to come to the center, feeling that he did not really belong there, his wife said.

That's typical of older adults hesitant to leave the familiarity of their own homes, Davit said. But in the caring atmosphere of ESSE Day Care Centers, most clients quickly get over their reluctance.

"Some it just takes one day. Some it takes up to a week," Davit said. "We offer them things to do, put them in leadership roles. It's amazing to see the satisfaction. They feel productive again."

Davit's own involvement with ESSE has grown by leaps and bounds since she joined as a part-time activity assistant working one day a week 14 years ago. At that time, the not-for-profit Ecumenical Support Services for the Elderly had one adult day care center at Faith Lutheran Church in Glen Ellyn. Most of the adults attending were higher functioning.

But the demand for day care for seniors who needed more supervision and support grew. ESSE, which began in 1982, added the site at St. Paul Lutheran Church in Wheaton in 1995. A third site opened at Holy Cross Lutheran Church in Wheaton in 2002 and recently moved to Community Baptist Church in Warrenville.

Davit's involvement grew along with ESSE. She became activity director, assistant director and then executive director about 10 years ago. Her position includes grant-writing, marketing and facilitating a community Caregivers Support Group that meets the third Thursday of the month at St. Paul Lutheran Church.

The three ESSE centers served 148 families last fiscal year, she said.

"Every year, it grows a little bit," she said.

Welcoming placeThe centers are open 7 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday through Friday. Clients may attend one day a week or up to five, although Davit recommends at least two days a week to provide continuity. Rates are $55 a day or $35 for a half-day. ESSE contracts with the state to provide financial assistance for families in need.The centers also receive support from 28 churches that provide funding and volunteers, civic organizations and grant-making groups such as the DuPage Community Foundation.Davit said statistics show that the investment in adult day care reaps results."It provides supervision, obviously. But it provides socialization, activities, stimulation," she said. "Day care has helped maintain their cognitive abilities."The biggest hurdle is educating families to bring their loved one to adult care early enough, Davit said."Families are so guilty or leery to drop them off," she said. "Families always say I wish I would have brought her here a year earlier."Most of the older adults live with adult children or spouses who work or just need a break, Davit said. Ages range from 40s for adults with early onset Alzheimer's to 101. The day care provides a good transition for adults who may later have to go into a long-term care facility, she said. Seniors who ESSE cannot accommodate are those who wander or who have inappropriate behavior such as verbal outbursts and physical aggression.Adults with developmental disabilities who have retired from workshops operated by Naperville-based Little Friends also come to the centers, Davit said.Activities range discussions of current events and chair exercises to table and word games. Bingo and trivia are always favorites, said Nancie Barry, program director who plans activities for all three centers.Volunteers and visiting groups who provide entertainment are welcome, Davit said."The pet visits they love and the children," she said. "We have a lot of parties. We try to make holidays always a big event."The centers operate with a staff ratio of one for every five seniors. Many of the staff are long-term. Employees who don't exhibit patience and the ability to redirect the senior clients don't last, Davit said.Terre Fulmer, program manager for the Glen Ellyn site, said staff are careful to include seniors who are hard of hearing or have poor vision in activities."We can always fill them in on what they don't hear or see so they feel they're part of it," she said.Dedicated and caringFulmer said Davit shows caring and compassion toward staff as well as toward clients and their families. She recalled that she had not worked for ESSE that long when she learned that her 13-year-old granddaughter had a tumor on her leg. The tumor proved to be noncancerous, but at the time Fulmer was apprehensive and anxious."Cathy took the time to research it and explain to me about the tumor," she recall. "After it was done, we found it was not uncommon for a child that age."Fulmer said Davit makes the same effort to answer questions or concerns clients and their families raise. "She is one of the most caring, compassionate people I know," Fulmer said. "She truly wants the best for the clients and their families."Barry said she has gotten calls from Davit at 9:30 at night suggesting some idea they should try. "She eats, drinks and breathes her job," Barry said. "She is so dedicated."Davit said she grew up in the Riverside-Brookfield area with a great-grandmother and grandmother in her home. During the holidays, her grandmother would take her to senior residences to distribute gifts.When Davit got older, she worked in nursing homes and studied nursing and worked at Loyola University Medical Center."I've always loved geriatrics," said the former Wheaton resident who now lives in Lisle.The mother of four children whom she has raised largely on her own, Davit still practices nursing on evenings and weekends at a senior living center in Wheaton. She acknowledges that her full-time job in itself is more than a 40-hour week, but she doesn't begrudge the time."You leave here at the end of the day, you feel really good about what you accomplished," she said.Asked what she sees for herself as she ages, Davit, 55, says she hopes to be surrounded by her children."I hope to work as long as possible," she adds.To inquire about ESSE Adult Day Care Centers, call Davit at (630) 260-3773 or visit the Web site at esseadultdaycare.org.bull; Do you know someone with an unusual job or hobby? Let us know at sdibble@dailyherald.com, (630) 955-3532 or 4300 Commerce Court, Lisle, 60532.True13081824Cathy Davit, executive director of ESSE Adult Day Care Centers, recently received a Sunlight Award from the state for her dedication to seniors.Tanit Jarusan | Staff PhotographerTrue