St. Ann Center
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Opening St. Ann Adult Day Care to a mix of ages proved the perfect environment for an additional catalyst to the formation of the current St. Ann Center. According to Grzybowski, Sister Edna witnessed an older client’s oncoming seizure subside when a three-year-old daughter of one of the staff came to sit in his lap and hug him. “Sister Edna decided right then that if she ever built a new day care center, it would be intergenerational,” Grzybowski said. Sister Edna Lonergan’s dream became a
reality in 1999 when she opened the St. Ann Center for Intergenerational Care on Milwaukee’s South Side, at 2801 East Morgan Avenue. Today known as the St. Ann Center’s Stein Campus, this center was one of the first of its kind in the nation, a “shared-site intergenerational day care for children and adults,” Grzybowski said. “At St. Ann Center, our goal is to provide essential community-based services,” explained Sister Edna Lonergan, OSF, founder and president of St. Ann Center. “We want to be there—whether for you, your mother, your father, your sister, your brother of your
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18525 West Capitol
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262-781-3850
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4140 South 108th Street
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414-529-4282
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423 North 3rd Street
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414-271-7335
child—in whatever way we can be of help,” Sister Edna said. Guided by its Franciscan roots, in Grzybowski’s words, the St. Ann Center embraces “creating a caring community, showing compassion and making peace.” St. Ann Center serves children aged six weeks to 12 years, adults with disabilities, individuals with dementia, and the frail elderly, all in an award-winning care setting. In addition to day care services, St. Ann Center provides a plethora of additional services to help those in need and their caregiving family members. According to Grzybowski, services include “overnight respite care, physical and occupational therapy, dental care for people whose disabilities make treatment in a standard dental clinic impossible, specialized dementia care, massage therapy, hair and nail care, music therapy, art, caregiver support groups, community medical clinics, whirlpool bathtubs that are wheelchair accessible…even warm-water, wheel-chairaccessible swimming pools for therapy.” St. Ann Center strives to provide services to all who need them, even if those individuals are not enrolled in the day services program. Though there is some fluctuation in daily attendance, St. Ann Center currently has about 300 adults and 200 children enrolled for day care at its two sites. Grzybowski anticipates that these numbers will rise during the coming year. She noted that individuals from the community are welcome to participate in swimming classes or open swim, water aerobics, or to get a massage. Community members may also sign up to have a “frail relative” stay at the St. Ann Center for overnight respite care. Grzybowski estimates that through this “ripple effect beyond those we serve directly,” the St. Ann Center creates a positive impact on the lives of “well over 1,000 people each year,” including relatives and caregivers of those served, volunteers and staff, and members of the surrounding community. Through a diverse, stimulating and engaging selection of daily activities specially designed by an intergenerational activities director, young and elderly grow, share, and cultivate health together. Activities range from the physically active (interpretive dance and balloon volleyball, for example) to games, cooking activities, art, choir, karaoke, birthday parties and more. St. Ann Center has received international recognition for its pioneering work in intergenerational care. Those served by the St. Ann Center enjoy health benefits that span the E X C L U S I V E LY Y O U R S