Focus on Non-Profits: Elderly Services Inc.

Elderly Services Offers Nationally-Recognized Programs for Area Seniors

With the greying of Vermont, nearly every family in our region is concerned about caring for an elderly relative.

And according to the Vermont Department of Disability, Aging and Independent Living, 9 out of 10 Vermont elders “strongly prefer to live in their own home even when they need physical care.”

It is the mission of Elderly Services, located in Middlebury, to offer families of our region superior quality adult day care. To develop, operate, and support programs which help elders be involved, content, active, independent, and in their own homes and communities; to serve as an information, education and resource center on aging; and to advocate locally and regionally for elders.

ESI Programs include: Project Independence Adult Day Care Center, ESI College Lifelong Learning, Eldercare Counseling, Geriatric Needs Evaluation, Geriatric Mental Health Counseling, and an Aging Education Center.

The largest program, Project Independence, is the Adult Day Center of Elderly Services, which provides a closely supervised, “home away from home” adult day program that helps elders stay in their homes, and avoid potential nursing home placement.

Project Independence is Vermont’s largest adult day program, serving the region five days a week. Our 7 AM to 7 PM hours offer elders and their families full-day and part-day flexible hours according to the individual needs of both the participant and family members who are balancing care with their own daytime responsibilities.

Our “adult day health” approach combines intensive health/personal care services and transportation with a joyous, entertaining day of fun, food, belonging and human connection. Our four part-time nurses administer medication, oversee oxygen and diabetes, and care for myriad other health issues. Their just-in-time oversight helps elders get the access to affordable, quality health care that they need. Our nurses assess when elders need to see a doctor, go to urgent care or the ER, or sit in a recliner and rest with observation and some electrolytes. The nurses make it their job to educate participants and families about how to manage the everchanging healthscape of old age.

With frail elders, we can’t count on improving their physical health, but we often do. They’re up and walking greater distances than they would at home, just to get from a meal to a variety of activities. Participants are also joining in our exercise, walking group and Bone Builders programs to keep the strength and vitality they have, and moving regularly to play our creative and fun sport games. Physical health is improved as well when our elders eat well and get frequent opportunities to drink water and prevent dehydration. Our creative cooks make delicious, appetizing and healthy meals tailored to the needs of older eaters.

Project Independence has been named a National Model Adult Day Care Center by the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation and the U. S. Department of Health and Human Services and was featured at national conferences for “Best Practices in Rural Adult Day Care.”

For more than 40 years Project Independence has transformed the lives of elders and their families as an award-winning day care center and a quality-of-life alternative to nursing home placement. It is the only adult day care within 35 miles, and the largest of 11 centers in Vermont.

Founded in 1981, Elderly Services was created by a community task force to offer adult day care at a time when this model was in its infancy in the United States. For our first 24 years we rented space from local churches. In 2005 we successfully completed a 7-year, $4.5 million capital campaign. We own a 15,000 square foot specially designed center and small eldercare residence on 5 acres. In a more recent fundraising campaign, through a matching grant with the Amy Tarrant Foundation, we raised another $1 million to keep our building, grounds, and staffing vibrant for another 10 years. The ever-growing population of seniors and the increasing prevalence of Alzheimer’s disease and related dementias, create a great need for our county to have services that support families and individuals with dementia and other chronic illnesses. Project Independence fills this niche in Addison County, allowing elders to live at home while getting care to keep them safe, healthy and happy during the day and reducing the stress and financial burden of caregivers.