Human Race helps adult day center keep seniors active

Caring for someone with dementia is a journey both rewarding and challenging. Being of the sandwich generation, caring for children and parents while working is the ultimate conundrum.

People may be surprised at how a disease with such a spectrum of stages is often boxed into a one-size-fits-all approach. The Community Adult Day Center in Downers Grove resembles a township senior center, but one where the diverse group of attendees need some supervision and cannot arrive and leave on their own.

While at the center, they have a coffee klatsch, recliner movie time, sing, lunch, exercise, play games, do puzzles, reminisce and more.

As a person of faith, I am blessed to see God at work, putting the right people in our path. My sister, Mary Gruenberg, found the CADC in Downers Grove and it has been a positive experience that has enabled us to run our insurance and financial services business and honor our mother's wish to live independently (albeit with us).

Prior to discovering CADC, we were trying to juggle Mom between us and she seemed to be fading fast while she patiently waited for the work to end and the attention to begin. One email or phone call follows another and it ends up being a rather lonely experience even when you are in the same room.

Having used day care for my children, I understand the value of having a place where your loved one is safe, well cared for and happy, and that they enjoy and are enthusiastic about attending. This is true for seniors, too. Someone who is a caregiver without working outside the home can benefit from CADC to get a well-deserved break to recharge.

At CADC, Mom is engaged and adored. Adult Day Centers are about the least expensive form of care and this fine organization is a hidden gem in the suburbs. Folks in Downers Grove even can take the senior bus.

We appreciate the flexibility with operating hours weekdays from 7:30 a.m. to 5:45 p.m. Going above and beyond, staff members have recommended resources and reading such as "Coach Broyles' Playbook for Alzheimer's Caregivers" and Jo Huey's "Help and Hope." The staff nurse has provided sound advice.

When CADC fundraises, we participate to show our appreciation for the volunteers and staff who care so much and respect the elders in their program.

CADC is new to the DuPage Human Race and we are excited about its success and the ability to participate virtually if we are constrained by our schedules. In her 90s, Mom isn't mobile enough to participate in the walk, but she would tell you to move it or lose it. Part of why she has lasted this long is her volunteering efforts, which ended only a few years ago.

I have learned that my mom is ticklish, that she loves when my husband makes fun of me and that she feels deeply. It's such a treat when one can make that emotion joyful rather than sad, and the CADC is a place that nourishes her soul.