SUMMIT, NJ — SAGE Eldercare will reopen its doors to clients on July 19. Since the state mandated closure on March 20, 2020, due to COVID-19, the nonprofit’s Medical Adult Day program, Spend-A-Day, has been shuttered. The temporary closure left older adult participants without a place to socialize or receive cognitive stimulation. It also left caregivers without a safe environment to leave a loved one while they worked or did something outside the home.
During the closure, staff remained in contact with participants through telehealth. Nearly 3,000 phone calls have been made over a 15 month period. Safe in home visits were also arranged and a virtual library was launched on the SAGE website, www.sageeldercare.org. Videos feature everything from Broadway show tunes to yoga and education. The video library is available to the public.
Since last March, the center has been painted and updated to create a more contemporary look. Spend-A-Day Director, Pam Marusic said her team is doing everything to comply with comprehensive reopening guidelines set by the New Jersey Department of Health, which were issued in June to allow centers to reopen. “COVID-19 isolation took a tremendous toll on older adults and their families,” she said. “We are so excited to welcome both current and new participants as well as all of the families who have missed us so much.”
SAGE Spend-A-Day provides care and companionship to older adults who need assistance and can benefit from increased socialization outside the home. The program offers a unique setting for cognitive and physical activities with the added benefit of medical support.
Who can benefit from Spend-A-Day?
Adults who want to remain in their own homes and:
- Need specialized medical care for cognitive conditions such as dementia, post-stroke, post-surgery, cardiac illness, and diabetes management.
- May no longer be able to structure their own day, or cannot remain at home alone safely.
- Need assistance to be able to participate in recreational activities.
- Have caregivers in need of respite and support.
For more information about Spend-A-Day or SAGE’s other services, including: HomeCare, Meals on Wheels, Social Work and Medicare support, please call 908-273-5550 or visit SAGE’s website www.sageeldercare.org.
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PHOTO CAPTION: SAGE trustee and volunteer Robert Lecky and Spend-A-Day Director Pam Marusic carrying a new planting table into the SAGE facility in preparation for the grand reopening.