Adult Day Services of Orange County Hosts Public Grand Opening of New Day Center for Seniors With Dementia; Preeminent Center is a Hoag Hospital Community Health Partnership.

HUNTINGTON BEACH, Calif.--(BW HealthWire)--Aug. 16, 1999--

Adult Day Services of Orange County (ADSOC) Monday announced the completion of its new, state-of-the-art day center for seniors with Alzheimer's disease or a related dementia.

A free grand opening celebration with guided tours, entertainment and light refreshments will be held at the center on Sunday, September 12 from 2-5 p.m. for anyone who would like to learn more.

While Adult Day Services of Orange County has a 20-year history of capably serving the community, the innovative features of its new facility result in greater benefits for participants and their caregivers. Even during the construction phase, ADSOC's new facility quickly earned a reputation as a model center -- one that will positively impact the way care is delivered throughout the United States. This, combined with the pioneering work of its executive director, Cordula Dick-Muehlke, Ph.D., prompted the National Alzheimer's Association to feature ADSOC's facility and treatment programs at its national convention this past July.

"This is not just a building, it's a center with a soul," asserts ADSOC's Dr. Dick-Muehlke. "Every aspect was carefully designed to meet the specific needs of seniors with Alzheimer's. For example, wallpaper patterns, style of carpet, trashcans and other things the average person wouldn't even notice can be major disturbances to individuals with dementia, to the point of stifling their ability to function."

Dr. Dick-Muehlke met with her construction team every Monday for nearly three years to ensure an exceptional environment for Alzheimer's care -- a place where participants can feel safe, function to their highest potential and experience enjoyment throughout the day.

"We even selected paint colors and upholstery while looking through yellow cellophane," explains Dr. Dick-Muehlke, "because it's proven that our vision `yellows' with age. I wanted to make sure that the colors -- as they see them -- would be pleasing."

ADSOC's new center is 19,000 square feet, triple the previous treatment area, and capable of accommodating 100 participants daily. It is also the only senior day center in Orange County offering a program for early-stage dementia.

ADSOC's center -- which provides recreational activities for seniors, daily nursing care and rehabilitative therapies -- is a community health partnership with Hoag Memorial Hospital Presbyterian. More than $4 million in funding came from Hoag Hospital's Community Health Outreach which supports or partners with a wide range of public health agencies, without regard to financial return, to make health care services more accessible to vulnerable, disadvantaged populations.

"As part of our health outreach program, we conduct consumer surveys to assess the healthcare needs of the community," explains Dr. Gwyn Parry, Hoag Hospital's director of community medicine. "The work of Adult Day Services of Orange County consistently ranked high on the survey's list of healthcare priorities."

Researchers state that the need for Alzheimer's and dementia care will continue to grow steadily. Currently, four million people in the United States and 500,000 in California have Alzheimer's or a related dementia. In Orange County, more than 40,000 are afflicted, and these numbers are expected to quadruple by the year 2040.

Projections show that 37 percent of Orange County's population will be over the age of 50 by 2020. As these "baby boomers" age, the shrinking number of younger adults in the county will find themselves "sandwiched" between the demands of caring for an older adult while simultaneously juggling their immediate family and career.

"Our center helps alleviate this imbalance by providing participants the latest advancements in Alzheimer's care while giving their families a respite from caregiving duties," adds Dr. Dick-Muehlke.

Hoag Hospital's Dr. Parry concurs, "This center is one of the most tangible and exciting ways in which Hoag Hospital can give back to the community and at the same time directly benefit the lives of families and healthcare professionals."

ADSOC's new center is located at 9451 Indianapolis (at the corner of Bushard) in Huntington Beach. For more details about the grand opening on September 12, call 714/593-9630.

Note to reporters: Media tours and/or interviews with participants and their families can be arranged by calling the contact people below.