On any given day, Monday through Friday, the Golden Age Adult Daycare Center, 9305 Avenue L, is bustling with activity.
Their members arrive early and enjoy a hearty breakfast before engaging in the projects planned for the day. An activity might be as simple as sitting together after breakfast and talking about “upcoming news” at the center. “We want to get them excited and give them something to look forward to,” Program Director Jill Duncan stated to the Canarsie Courier. Other daily activities include working on arts and crafts, karaoke singing, performing gentle exercises or playing games like chess, dominoes or bingo. On occasion, the members are taken on trips to the casino, the movies or even shopping.
In a lot of ways, Golden Age Adult Daycare is a respite for many – particularly those who are ailing and/or live alone. Some of the members suffer from high blood pressure, diabetes, dementia or even depression and require a little extra care. “We have a staff that is highly trained and able to assist them with their needs,” Duncan stated. And despite its name, Golden Age Adult Daycare is not just for seniors. It’s a Social Center that caters to adults of all ages. “Anyone 21 years of age and over, who has a functional impairment or cognitive disability, and receives Medicaid, is welcome,” Duncan explained. Non-Medicaid clients are also accepted but at an out-of-pocket cost of $65 per day.
Lately, the center has been providing additional services and activities for their members and the community. Beginning at 1 p.m. on Friday afternoons, they host a food distribution where area residents are treated to hampers of fresh produce and other staples. Additionally, they have a barbeque and live DJ who “mixes” it up and plays contemporary music for the younger adults, as well as the nostalgic “oldies but goodies” that resonate with the more senior adults. Anyone who joins the center during the event receives a raffle ticket for a chance to win a TV.
