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About 25 trainees are needed to help ensure the success of the county's new center, which will open in a few months.
By JOY DAVIS-PLATT, Times Staff Writer
© St. Petersburg Times, published April 1, 2002
County Commissioner Betty Whitehouse's dream of an adult day care program for Hernando County is close to fruition. But the program still lacks one key ingredient: volunteers.
Whitehouse hopes to overcome that hurdle this month, when the county begins offering a comprehensive training program for anyone interested in becoming a volunteer at the center, which Whitehouse expects to be open in a few months.
"Good volunteers are just imperative," she said. "Without them, nothing else matters."
The training course, which will be offered weekly for four consecutive weeks, will be taught by a team of educators that includes Whitehouse, who taught gerontology and mental health nursing at the Mercy Hospital School of Nursing in Des Moines, Iowa, before coming to Hernando County.
"I will be dealing primarily with the psychosocial needs of the elderly," said Whitehouse, who spearheads the Hernando County Commission's Elder Affairs Committee. "That includes depression and dementia -- things of that nature."
Whitehouse is coordinating the training program with the Adult Day Care Subcommittee of the county's Senior Advisory Council.
Many of the issues will be addressed using role-play exercises to give participants a chance to try out their skills, Whitehouse said.
For instance, when a patient's memory starts to fade, the first instinct of many caregivers is to correct the patient. But that is often counterproductive, she said.
"Very often, we see people regress to a time in the past and talk about memories from 10 or 20 years ago," she said. "Correcting can add to their stress, and often it's better for the patient and the caregiver to simply turn the conversation. It's much easier for them and much easier for you."
One common symptom of dementia, Whitehouse said, is the constant repetition of statements or actions.
"Unless you know differently, you can really almost feel that these people are doing these things intentionally," she said. "But when you realize this is the disease, it makes the situation much easier to look at."
Mentally impaired patients often are not able to learn new behavior, she said, and caretakers must change their way of doing things.
"That means we have to look at how we intervene and maybe do things differently," she said.
Beyond the educational benefits of the course, Whitehouse said, there is a fellowship aspect of the program.
"If you are in a position of taking care of a family member, a neighbor or friend, it really does help to be able to have the tools and to realize that you're not alone," Whitehouse said.
Dee Peters, a program specialist with the Alzheimer's Association, said a training program is essential if day care volunteers are to be able to work with elderly patients.
"The very first thing volunteers need is an understanding of what their patients are going through," said Peters, who oversees services in Pasco, Hernando, Citrus and Sumter counties. "All the rest can come after that understanding."
Whitehouse encourages retired professionals to attend training and become partners in the program. She hopes to get about 25 volunteers.
The center, which will provide care and congregate meals for seniors who need more attention than they can receive at hospital-sponsored enrichment centers, is set to open in the old Brooksville Enrichment Center building, across from the Brooksville Regional Hospital emergency room within the next few months, Whitehouse said.
"This is one of the first, but most important, steps," she said of the volunteer training. "Well-trained volunteers are essential if the center is to succeed."
Classes for people interested in becoming volunteers for the county's adult day care program will be offered from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. for four consecutive Wednesdays beginning April 10. The classes will be at the Spring Hill Enrichment Center, 1244 Mariner Blvd., Spring Hill. There is no cost, and lunch will be provided. To register or for information, call 754-4000.