Caring for your loved one includes caring for yourself, so you can be at your best!
Mindful Care Adult Day Program serves caregivers by providing a “Best Friends” approach to adult day care. Aging individuals need opportunities to keep their minds alert. Elders need a stimulating program of pleasurable activities. Older family members enjoy being surrounded by friends who care.
- Aging individuals need opportunities to keep their minds alert.
- Elders need a stimulating program of pleasurable activities.
- Older family members enjoy being surrounded by friends who care.
Mindful Care Adult Day Program:
- Quality care in a safe, supportive environment.
- Caring, professional staff who make personal service a top priority.
- Dignified assistance and support for persons with Alzheimer’s, memory loss, and other problems of aging.
- Carefully planned activities to create friendships and promote self worth.
- A daily exercise program to enhance physical wellness.
- Increased personal daily safety with supervision in a protective environment.
- A chance for the caregiver to rest and relax to help preserve their own well being.
Dec. 4, 2019
Mindful Care Adult Day Services recently received a $3,000 grant from SharingChange, a Middle Tennessee Electric Foundation whose purpose is to give back to the communities it serves. The Foundation’s September grants totaled nearly $24,000. Visit SharingChange.org.
Shown in the photo are, l. to r., Jay Sanders, MTEMC community relations coordinator, Tom Tozer, Mindful Care board president, and Earl Cunningham, Mindful Care consultant.
Mindful Care Adult Day Services earns state licensure, validates high quality
Mindful Care Adult Day Services of Rutherford County has earned licensure by the State of Tennessee, which not only validates the program’s high quality but provides the organization with a platform on the state’s official website, providing much greater visibility for families searching for such services.
The nonprofit association was incorporated in July of 2005 as Elders First Adult Day Services, and later was renamed Mindful Care Adult Day Services. The program started at New Vision Baptist Church in Murfreesboro, first for three days a week but soon expanded to Monday through Friday. Mindful Care welcomes participants, age 55 and up who have mild Alzheimer’s and other forms of compromised memory issues.
The mission of Mindful Care is to provide a safe, joyful and loving environment for participants while giving their family caregivers a much-needed break during the day to rest or even continue employment. Daily activities include physical and cognitive exercises, arts and crafts, visiting entertainment, even field trips.
Up to the summer of this year, state law allowed services such as Mindful Care to operate with a maximum of nine people. A new law emerged without much advanced noticed requiring state licensure for adult day programs that included more than four people.
“We were already operating with nine people, and we knew we would not make ends meet financially with the reduced number of participants in the program,” noted Tina O’Brien, founder. Modest program fees account for nearly half of the organization’s budget.
“The licensure process was quite lengthy,” O’Brien said. “The process started in June of this year until mid-November when we received our 90-day certificate, which will be renewed after a probationary period.”
The staff of four people had to provide proof of education, and the two senior staff members had to submit their college diplomas and courses of study, O’Brien said. In addition, they were fingerprinted and underwent a background check as well as a TB test. The Public Health Department and the State Fire Marshal inspected and approved the facility.
“There is a quantity of record-keeping to identify each person’s characteristics, likes and dislikes, physical problems and medical diagnoses–every person has a plan of care that is reviewed every three months,” O’Brien said. “They looked through all our paperwork and inspected our equipment.”
While a lot of work, O’Brien said they were overjoyed to receive the state credential. “We are truly gratified to be licensed, and we can continue to provide the best possible care to our people,” she said. “And caregivers will now be able to utilize their long-term care insurance for adult day services, something they could not do prior to this state certification.”
To learn more about Mindful Care Adult Day Services or to volunteer, visit mindful-care.org for program fees, testimonials, a new video and contact information.
