By Katrina Van Duzee/Garden Grove Journal
Most people probably don’t envision their 80-year-old grandma playing Wii or getting down to funky tunes on the dance floor, but at Acacia Adult Day Services in Garden Grove this type of behavior is a regular occurrence.
For over 30 years the adult day care has provided medical and personal care, social services, therapy and adult education classes to seniors in the community and neighboring cities. The mission of the program is to enhance the lives of adults with disabilities and offer more independence for the participants and their caregivers, according to Mallory Vega, the executive director of the day care.
“We try to get our participants to a point where they can enjoy life,” Vega said. “What we do is re-enter things into their life they used to enjoy, but can no longer do on their own.”
At Acacia the staff modifies activities like painting, knitting and gardening so participants are able to reconnect with old hobbies while making friends with their peers, Vega said.
The program is geared for individuals who live at home, but because of a disability are not able to function in an active senior center. Their goal is to lighten the workload for family members who are struggling with the stress of being a constant caregiver, by offering a place for socialization and personalized medical care, Vega said.
“I do exercise a lot because I had polio when I was younger,” day care participant Jane Crandall of Long Beach said. “ I still have the possibility of falling and my daughter worries, so I work on that.”
There are about 200 people enrolled in Acacia’s day care, which is located at 11391 Acacia Parkway
Most participants at Acacia use MediCal funds to pay for the care they receive, which decide the amount of time they are able to attend. Paying out of pocket is allowed but costs $95 for the health care services and $75 for the social services per day.
“Today we had a man here so we could all dance and I managed to dance in my own way, not like I used to be able to, but in my own way,” Crandall said. “It really felt good to me.”
Crandall usually attends the day services four days a week to socialize, take art classes and work on walking better after a recent fall which resulted in a broken hip, she said. She has come to Acacia for over a year now.
The day care is open Monday through Friday, 7 a.m. to 5:30 p.m., but support group meetings for caregivers are also scheduled at different locations throughout the week.
“I hope to come as much as possible every week,” Crandall said. “There are so many different types of problems people have here and it is an absolutely wonderful place because there is always something good going on.”
Acacia day care is a non-profit and receives funding from the state, donations from individuals and from fundraisers. A “Magical Evening Under the Stars” is the next fundraiser that will take place on July 17 at 6 p.m. and includes dinner, dancing, a silent auction and a magic show.
“Many people come because they do want to help, but this is a fun way to help,” Vega said about the fundraiser.
Contact Acacia at (714) 530-1566 more information on the program and upcoming fundraiser.
