OAKWOOD CREATIVE CARE INC
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Mission Statement
Our mission is to enhance the quality of life and spark JOY for older adults with cognitive or physical challenges.
About This Cause
Oakwood provides a day environment for adults, primarily age 55 and older, afflicted with dementia, stroke, and other conditions of impairment. Support services are also offered for family caregivers. Our goal is to provide services that enable the fullest measure of participation in a life of quality for our “club members” and their caregivers. Oakwood provides a wide variety of services including health care (medication and nutritional management); music, exercise, creative art and horticulture therapy; meals; social outings and field trips; personal interest “clubs”; and support groups, education and respite care for family caregivers. Through two locations we serve over 290 club members and their caregivers each year. History: Oakwood Creative Care, Inc., was organized as Sirrine Adult Day Care of Mesa, Inc., in 1975 by a group of concerned citizens who recognized a need in the community to provide a safe, nurturing day environment for older adults facing physical and/or mental challenges of daily living and unable to remain alone at home. Founders envisioned a program that would help seniors remain in the community as long as possible, provide alternatives to costly in-home and institutional care, and support the family through the transitions brought about by failing health and decline. Recognizing a need for formal organizational structure, we were incorporated and granted nonprofit status by the Internal Revenue Service in 1987. At the same time, we were licensed by the Arizona Department of Health as a health facility serving persons 18 years and older with Alzheimer’s and other types of dementia and victims of stroke. The corporate name was changed to Oakwood Creative Care in early 2013 in response to a need to develop an identity that is easily remembered and better expresses our mission. Oakwood offers the Adult Day Health Services Program in two Mesa locations. Town Center Day Club (247 N. MacDonald) and Red Mountain Day Club (7550 E. Adobe Road) with service from 7:00 AM to 5:30 PM Monday through Friday. We also have a center in the Chandler/Sun Lakes are named The Perfect Place. Typically we serve over 290 attending club members and their primary caregivers each year. COMMUNITY NEED: In a study by Genworth Company, in Arizona, in-home services for care average $43,000 - $45,000 annually. Assisted living or nursing home care ranges from $37,000 - $82,000. Long-term care for the disabled or impaired adult is expensive and often beyond the financial reach of the average family, even with private insurance or support through Medicare or Medicaid programs. With the 2008 economic downturn, many saw their financial cushions evaporate. Senior citizens or adults with disabilities are forced to turn to their families and the community for assistance. One of every eight Americans is both raising a child and caring for a parent; one in seven seniors, it is estimated, are afflicted with Alzheimer’s or Alzheimer’s-like dementia. Based on these statistics, in the City of Mesa alone (the fifth largest in Arizona) 8,400 suffer with dementia and 30,000 are caring for a child and an aging parent. Caring for a person with disabilities, Alzheimer’s or other dementias is extremely difficult and many caregivers experience high levels of emotional stress, sleep deprivation, depression, and economic stress. Sixty-six percent (66%) of caregivers are women in their 40s caring for a mother or other female relative. The employment of the caregiver, needed in the family, is placed in jeopardy when balanced with the need to provide care for the family member. A recent study on women and caregiving highlighted the conflicting demands of work and caregiving: • 33% of working women decreased work hours • 29% passed up a job promotion, training, or assignment • 22% took a leave of absence • 20% switched from full-time to part-time employment • 16% quit their jobs • 13% retired early Once again, these facts move the issues of adult care out of the immediate family circle and into the broader community. Quality, affordable options must be a concern of the broader community. Oakwood Creative Care offers a research-based, cutting edge, person-directed care model focusing on participants’ strengths, interests, and wellness. We have created a physical and emotional environment wherein each individual can feel they belong, contribute, are safe, and have opportunities for success and wellness. Through a professional staff and multi-disciplinary approach, therapies are provided, but all the participating club member knows is that they are having a great day. What they are really doing is increasing strength, balance, fine and gross motor skills, and improving cognitively, behaviorally, and emotionally. Oakwood prides itself on employing the latest information and methodologies to maintain or improve the overall health of those served. Research studies demonstrate the importance of activities that provide benefits in one of three areas: physical, sensory, or psychological. Of greatest benefit are activities that provide stimulation touching on all three of these categories and are based on the individual’s needs and abilities. Our innovative program brings in some of the best therapies offered in the state to provide a wide range of experiences for club members. Available services include: • Well-balanced Café style mid-day meals with a varied and rotating menu, designed for balanced nutrition and dining pleasure. • Door-to-door transportation services to and from home as needed. • Health care services to support the highest quality of life possible, including medication and nutritional management, regular monitoring of vital signs, and health education. • Spiritual experiences based on individual faith practices of the club member to allow self-expression and find support through their faith. • Participation in Council Meetings to influence program choices offered all club members. • Computer-based technology to offer independence and support in communicating with family through Facebook, email, and Skype. Large screen TVs are used in group interactive discussions and topics are discovered using the internet. Oakwood offers research-based, cutting edge, program interventions such as: - Music Therapy - Cognitive Education for Advanced Brain Health - Creative Arts Engagement - Woodworking - Outings - Volunteering - Intergenerational Activities - Horticulture Therapy - Tai Chi at Town Center - Laughter Yoga - Exercise Therapy At Oakwood, we recognize that the issues associated with aging, physical or mental impairment, and/or deteriorating health are not just problems of the participating club member. These are issues that affect their primary caregivers as well, whether that’s an aging spouse or adult children. We serve the entire family, offering: • Facilitated monthly support group meetings allowing caregivers opportunities to express themselves and receive feedback from professionals and people in similar situations. Care for the participating club member is always provided. • An Annual Conference in partnership with the Alzheimer’s Association. • Respite care at both of our Day Clubs, allowing caregivers time for personal care or a needed break from the strain of caring for a loved one. TARGET POPULATION: Oakwood Creative Care is open to any adult person facing physical and/or mental challenges of daily living and unable to remain alone at home. Almost 70% have an Alzheimer’s disease diagnosis.