Caring for someone with Alzheimer’s disease or another form of dementia can be one of the biggest struggles that a person may have to face if he or she is not prepared. “The isolation and frustration that caregivers experience is common,” said Monica Moore, director of programming at WISE Adult Day Service Center in Santa Monica. “Extensive research on Alzheimer’s disease and memory loss reveals that mental, social and physical activity can have an impact in helping those afflicted with memory loss,” said Moore, a master’s prepared gerontologist. Participating in engaging activities that stimulate the brain has been shown to help someone with memory problems maintain their functional level.
WISE & Healthy Aging is excited to offer a program that has a variety of such activities for people in the early to moderate stages of Alzheimer’s disease. In partnership with the Alzheimer’s Association, and with a grant award from the Brookdale Foundation, the program is specially designed to provide needed support to both caregivers and memory loss sufferers.
The program is offered at the WISE Adult Day Service Center, located at 1510 Pico Blvd. in Santa Monica on Tuesdays and Thursdays from 10 a.m. — 2 p.m. Each session is structured to promote emotional, social, physical, and cognitive well-being. Support groups for the care partner as well as the person with memory loss address the individual struggles that each person may encounter after a diagnosis and throughout this journey. “These special sessions supplement the regular adult day care we provide five days a week at the Center,” said Moore.
Each class includes a variety of physically and mentally stimulating programs including discussion groups, art and music therapy, modified yoga, balance maintaining exercises, other forms of physical exercise, as well as support groups and cognitive stimulation in a well-rounded approach to caring for people with memory loss.
The WISE Adult Day Service Center, a trusted source for adult day programs on the Westside, for more than 30 years, has expanded to meet even more of the needs of the residents of Santa Monica and the surrounding communities. Connecting with services and support when someone you know is in early stages of Alzheimer’s disease is crucial to coping, treating and accepting the diagnosis.
For more information about WISE Adult Day Service Center programs, please call 310.452-7802.
WISE & Healthy Aging, a nonprofit headquartered in Santa Monica, is a leader in innovative services for older adults.
