The chairs at Always At Your Side Adult Day Care Center are not comfortable, and that’s a good thing. Adult day service centers often provide wall to wall recliners for their patients which take away from physical activity and socialization, aspects of health that Miami Lakes’ only adult service center highly value.
Alexandra Alonso, president of Always At Your Side Adult Day Care Center has a storied past working in healthcare before opening her center. Initially working as a Speech Language Pathologist for children with Autism, Down Syndrome, and Cerebral Palsy, Alonso decided to follow a different avenue within the health industry. She pursued a master’s degree in Health Services Administration Alonso while working at Mercy Hospital as an administrator for patient access for 13 years which is where she cites her passion with working with the elderly began. Following her degree she transitioned into care management for Simply Healthcare in the Long Term Care Department.
Alonso found that families were often misguided for resources for the elderly and would sometimes leave their family members at home alone all day. She began to educate families on the benefits of day service centers and the how they were surprisingly affordable. According to the National Association of Day Cares, the cost of adult day care is the most affordable option for elderly care comported to in-home care, assisted living and nursing homes.
“I was on the other side of this while working in case management,” said Alonso. “I was helping families, visiting them and their elderly family members at homes and assessing how much assistance was needed which is when I first became familiar with adult day service centers and I fell in love with the idea of opening one myself.”
Alonso was assigned to many long term caseloads for patients in Hialeah and Miami Lakes which is when she first saw the lack of adult service centers. Being long time residents, active within the town, Alonso and her husband knew immediately that the location for their own adult day service center would ideally be in their home town: Miami Lakes. Alonso soon opened her own center and offer services that many locals were driving far to receive in Broward and South Miami.
“The town has a great seniors program but there was not much for the individuals who needed a bit more supervision,” said Robert Alonso, Alexandra’s husband. “Here we can guarantee that they will be taken care of and supervised the entire time. It gives a lot of peace of mind for the families.”
The center, which is highly supervised, complete with 24 hour cameras, doors with sounding alarms, and patient counts every hour, is also highly visible with floor to ceiling windows. Staff members have been handpicked by Alonso and are each bilingual with a minimum of 5 years experience working with the geriatric population.
The center works with many different types of patients including those with Alzheimer’s and dementia, Parkinson’s, chronic diseases, stroke victims, frail and physically dependent, and depressed patients. Breakfast, lunch and a snack is provided and medicine management is provided personalized for each patient according to their needs. Hours for the center overlap with business hours from 7 a.m. to 6 p.m.
The three key components of the center focus on physical, mental and social stimulation. As such activity areas for physical therapy, exercise, reading, crafts, games, dining, relaxation and even a computer area for those interested in learning more about the web are all part of services included. Additionally, primary physicians and therapists for each patient conduct check-ups at the center so caregivers don’t need to take time to drive patients to appointments.
Additionally, special events are often held to create an atmosphere closer to that of a social club than a facility. Some events and activities for patients include a holiday party, a dance instructor, and a beautician to cut hair and perform manicures. A local podiatrist, Dr. Mai, also regularly visits to ensure foot health.
Manny Cid, Vice Mayor for the Town of Miami Lakes and Vice President of Always At Your Side Adult Day Care Center said “This is one way for adults to improve their quality of life and avoid just staying at home all day with nothing to do. We have success stories here that are out of this world. I remember a gentleman who at first couldn’t move his arms, and over time I saw great improvement. He regained a lot of mobility in his arms and told me he felt like he was in his thirties again.”
A feature unique to Always At Your Side is its inclusion of young adults in activities and programs. Young adults who have conditions such as cerebral palsy are welcome to spend the day and partake in any activities, some of which have been designed specifically for individuals.
“There is a big gap with children who grow up and out of government programs for things like cerebral palsy and suddenly they find they have nowhere to go,” said Robert. “Sometimes those young adults in their 30’s and 40’s are left at home alone and so we have opened our doors for that population along with specific activities.”
The center has a young adult with cerebral palsy that travels from South Miami to attend Always At Your Side as it is the only center that has allowed him to engage in his favorite pastime: painting. Alonso purchased canvases and paints to personalize that patient’s stay.
Apart from the services offered during the day, Always At Your Side frequently donates their space when not in use to non-profit organizations such as the Multiple Sclerosis Society, The Parkinson’s Association, and educational groups to provide tutoring to underprivileged children.
“Healthcare has always been a passion for me,” said Alonso. “Many of these patients feel like they’re a burden on their families or have been left alone at home for months at a time. When they come here, they feel like they’re going to school or work. They do crafts, they socialize, they learn, they play dominos and they’re safe.”
For more information on Always At Your Side Adult Day Care Center contact 305-362-2202 or visit www.alwaysatyoursideadc.com. A free trial day is offered for new patients and their families.