SANTA CRUZ COUNTY — Community Bridges received a grant award yesterday that will bring health, comfort and joy to seventy frail, low-income seniors each day.
The Central California Alliance for Health, the locally governed nonprofit managed care plan that administers Medi-Cal in Santa Cruz, Monterey and Merced Counties, approved a $35,000 grant to upgrade equipment and technology at Elderday Adult Day Health Care, one of Community Bridges ten nonprofit programs.
“We are so grateful to the Central California Alliance for Health for their continued support of Elderday, our community’s investment in health initiatives, and the public donations we have continued to receive to keep this center open,” said Raymon Cancino, Chief Executive Officer of Community Bridges. “With the senior population expected to double by 2050, we know the need for services like Elderday will only continue to grow.”
Elderday, located in the Harvey West area of Santa Cruz, serves low-income, frail adults and elders throughout Santa Cruz County. It is the only program of its kind in our area, with the goal of empowering local seniors to remain mobile, independent, and in their own homes, while allowing their families and caregivers the ability to hold paying jobs. By preventing emergency room visits, unnecessary hospitalization and premature nursing home placement, Elderday saves the public thousands every year.
This grant comes two years after Elderday’s first boost in Medi-Cal reimbursement rates alleviating the structural deficit it was facing as a result of funding and regulation changes.
Since that time, Elderday has made vast improvements in person-centered care to promote choice, purpose and meaning in the daily life of their participants, and has been working to become a distinguished memory care facility in the state. Beyond quality health care services, Elderday offers its participants daily enrichment including yoga, woodworking, art therapy, and Music & MemorySM, a program to enable those struggling with Alzheimer’s, dementia and other cognitive and physical challenges to reconnect with the world through music-triggered memories.
This newest contribution will allow Elderday to further improve participant satisfaction and comfort through upgraded equipment, including more appropriate height tables for wheelchair-users, comfortable seating for frail elders, bariatric chairs for larger participants, reclining chairs to allow participants with leg edema to elevate their feet, and smaller tables to better accommodate walkers and wheelchairs. This will also bring Elderday one-step closer to electronic medical records, easing communication with primary care providers and local hospitals to provide a higher level of care.
Elderday Adult Day Health Care is open for enrollment, and welcomes your visits, questions and comments. To schedule a tour, or for further information, contact 831-458-3181 between 9am and 3pm Monday through Friday, or visit CommunityBridges.org/Elderday.
Elderday Adult Day Health Care, a program of Community Bridges, provides high-quality day services for adults with complex medical conditions. Through Elderday’s planned daily activities — like music, yoga, art and woodworking — they create a fun, active and supportive community for everyone involved. The primary goal of these efforts is to empower seniors to stay healthy, independent and in their own home for as long as possible. To learn more visit www.communitybridges.org/elderday.