Meals on Wheels Adult Day Care Adds New Programs for Seniors With Alzheimer’s and Dementia

More than the not-for-profit meal delivery service, Meals on Wheels is now offering two new programs for older adults with Alzheimer’s Disease and other memory loss disorders at their Adult Day Care of Rockland. The new activities aim to increase cognitive and physical stimulation through horticulture and exercise.

“People assume Meals on Wheels is just meals on wheels,” says Stephen Papas, director of development. “Our agency has more than just food services.”

Meals on Wheels Adult Day Care is held  Monday through Friday from 8:30am to 4:30pm. Seniors can enjoy lunch and a range of different activities each day, including arts and crafts projects, zumba, music and art therapy sessions, and tai chi, a crowd favorite. Transportation is available to and from the facility. The staff at Adult Day Care is well trained and Meals on Wheels maintains an appropriate ratio to ensure the safety and well being of participants.

Developed in partnership with the Master Gardener Program of Cornell Cooperative Extension, the collective “growing wall” allows seniors to plant and grow herbs in their own block of soil. Herbs have the potential to meet certain memory triggers, which makes such an activity conducive for persons with Alzheimer’s and dementia. Participants in Adult Day Care may also engage in safe and monitored exercise using the NuStep recumbent cross trainer, designed to elevate heart-rate via low-impact movements. Trained staff secure and monitor all participants.

“Just the act of being in the program gives caregivers time to do what they need to do without worrying how dad and mom are doing at home by themselves,” says Papas.

If you are considering enrolling your loved one in Adult Day Care, call the Meals on Wheels social work department at 845-624-6325 or email jsuarez@mowrockland.org and schedule an appointment to tour the facilities and ensure that this is the right step for you and your loved one.

Meals on Wheels Adult Day Care is located in 121 West Nyack Road, Nanuet.

Image: Meals on Wheels Adult Day Care staff is well-trained to work with seniors with memory loss disorders.

Courtesy: Meals on Wheels