Coming of Age

Council on Aging of West Florida has forged partnerships with Ballinger Publishing and WUWF-TV to create Coming of Age, a seniors oriented lifestyle and informational print magazine and television program. Both formats cover varied topics of interest including travel, "fun things to do," and community involvement opportunities in addition to legislative issues and health related information.

Coming of Age is published quarterly. To read one of the feature articles from the current issue, click here. (See also our last issue).

The television format of Coming of Age airs on WUWF-TV, channel 4, on Mondays, at 7 p.m. and Tuesdays at 8 a.m. New shows air weekly.

For more information on Coming of Age, please contact Jeff Nall, Council on Aging public information manager, at jnall@coawfla.org or 432-1475.

Day on the Go - A Fun Day Out and Respite for Caregivers

By Jeff Nall

According to the National Alliance for Caregiving, family caregiving is one of the cornerstones of the country’s healthcare system with its value estimated at $306 billion per year-more than that of home care and nursing care combined. Experts anticipate that family caregiving will continue to grow. Currently, there are more than 44.4 million family caregivers in the U.S. Nearly 60 percent of caregivers work and nearly 40 percent of caregivers have children under the age of 18. Managing the priorities of work and family, in addition to caregiving, is stressful, costly, and can exact a heavy toll resulting in stress, burnout and other health problems.

Respite for caregivers and caregiving options are not only invaluable for caregivers and their families, they also represent valuable cost saving opportunities for businesses. In a study prepared for the Alzheimer’s Association, several years before the baby boomers began reaching retirement age, it was estimated at the time that Alzheimer’s disease would cost American businesses more than $61 billion – the equivalent of the net profits of the then top ten Fortune 500 companies. Over half of that amount ($36.5 billion) was estimated to represent absenteeism, productivity losses, and replacement costs – as workers struggle to balance the overwhelming responsibilities for a loved one who has Alzheimer’s disease with their obligations on the job. With today’s increasing senior population along with the rising cost of health care and home health service, the need for caregiving and respite options is growing exponentially.

One new option is Day on the Go, a new program of the Council on Aging of West Florida’s Adult Day Health Care Center. The center, which operates Monday through Friday from 7:30 am to 5:30 pm, provides onsite quality care and social interaction for adults with physical and cognitive impairments as well as respite for caregivers. However, Day on the Go is a special program for higher functioning participants who, with staff supervision, are able and interested in getting out and attending area attractions and events.

Sandie Holtry, adult day health care director, created the program to provide another caregiver option, one especially designed for participants who would enjoy, but also potentially benefit from, experiencing different environments. “The feedback from both the Day on the Go participants and their caregivers has been very positive," said Ms. Holtry. “The participants really enjoy getting out and having fun while the caregivers seem very relaxed knowing that their loved ones are enjoying going somewhere different, as well as being looked after.” This fall, outings included Weeks Bay Reserve Estuary, Farmhouse Arts & Crafts Show, bowling at Oops Alley, the Zoo Northwest Florida and a holiday tour of downtown Pensacola’s historic district. Day on the Go participants do not have to be regular attendees of the Adult Day Health Care Center, though regular attendees who meet the criteria are eligible to participate as well. Eleven participants can be accommodated on each outing.

Each Day on the Go begins at the Council on Aging of West Florida’s Adult Day Health Care Center at 9 am and ends at 4 pm to allow for a full day of activity for participants as well as extended respite for caregivers. Participants should be dropped off and picked up at the Council on Aging of West Florida’s Adult Day Health Care Center at 875 Royce Street. The cost is $65 per individual, which includes breakfast, exercise time, the outing and lunch.

Upcoming Day on the Go trips for the first quarter of 2008 include trips to the Pensacola Museum of Art on Tuesday, January 8; the Pensacola Junior College Planetarium on Friday, January 25; bowling at Oops Alley on Friday March 7; and a trip to a movie theater on Friday, March 28. In addition, a special tea ceremony is being planned for Day on the Go participants in February at the University of West Florida Japan House.

To arrange a tour of the Council on Aging of West Florida’s Adult Day Health Care Center, the only facility of its kind in the area licensed by the State of Florida, or for more information on Day on the Go, call Sandie Holtry at 432-1475 extension 180.