- April 25, 2024
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Flagler School District teacher Sally Smith has helped local folks who have disabilities for more than 20 years, and sometimes her job as instructor at the Flagler Technical Institute's Adult Activities Center comes with a pinch — or a pound — of sugar.
It did Tuesday morning, anyway, when Smith and the group baked peanut butter cookies, Hershey's Kisses-and-peppermint cookies, chocolate chip and sugar cookies.
“We’ve kind of adopted the fire station next door, so we’re going to take a big platter of home-baked cookies,” she said. The last time they went, three firefighters came back with a thank you card.
Activities like these, Smith said, are meant for those who might otherwise be sitting alone at home.
“They’re lonely, or grieving, or depressed, and they’ve lost that social network that they had,” Smith said. “They may be physically or mentally in decline. Because of the peer interaction here — eating, drinking, talking — what we see is that they respond well and become more alert.”
The center also helps caretakers, she said, by giving them time to attend to their own needs.
“The purpose of adult day care is to provide families with some respite and their own opportunity to go to doctors appointments, go to school, go to work,” she said. “They need an opportunity to have someone else there to make sure their loved one is safe.”
The Adult Activities Center at the Flagler Technical Institute on Corporate Drive helps adults over the age of 55, she said. At the center, they can find friends, play games, watch movies — and bake cookies.
Daily routines include exercise, walks outside and games, such as balloon volleyball. The center’s three full-time staffers serve up to 18 students at a time.
“We’ve helped a lot of people, and I’m so grateful to have been able to do that,” Smith said.
And on the other side of town ...
Janet Jensen manages the adult day care program at the county- and state-funded David I. Siegel Adult Day Care Center on Belle Terre Boulevard, and one of her jobs is seeking smiles.
“I dress up for Halloween and have different hats for Christmas,” she said. “If I can get a smile on their face when they’re here, that accomplishes a lot.”
The Adult Day Care Center’s four staff members serve elderly clients who have physical or mental disabilities and need observation for safety, said Jensen, a registered nurse.
Jensen’s mother is one of the Center’s clients and comes in two days a week.
The average age of clients is about 82, and the center can help administer medication and treat minor complaints while giving clients a comfortable, home-like place to stay. The center offers clients snacks and a hot lunch, and volunteers provide entertainment, like plays and musical performances.
“We celebrate birthdays, we have people coming in with pet therapy animals, we have music groups come in from the churches, we have karaoke, we play bingo and all different board games; we have holiday parties,” Jensen said.
“I treat them like friends," she added. "I include them in my life, and I’m lucky enough for them to include me in their lives.”
You have options
Do you have a loved one who might benefit from one of these programs? Here’s contact information for each:
Flagler Technical Institute Adult Activities Center
Contact person: Sally Smith, Instructor: 446-6744
Address: 1 Corporate Drive, Palm Coast
Hours: 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. Monday through Friday
Cost: $55 per day. Some individuals may qualify for a reduced price program at $90 per week.
David I. Siegel Adult Day Care Center
Contact person: Janet Jensen: 586-2324, option 3; [email protected]
Address: 1000 Belle Terre Blvd., Palm Coast
Hours: 8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Monday through Friday
Cost: $8 per hour. Bus transportation is available for $2 each trip.
