Roanoke Times
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: THURSDAY, March 28, 1991 TAG: 9103290230
SECTION: NEIGHBORS PAGE: S-7 EDITION: METRO
SOURCE: Randy Walker
DATELINE: LENGTH: Medium
Intergenerational day care is a relatively new concept, combining day care for the elderly with child care.
Adult Care Center and the VA Medical Center recently agreed to develop an intergenerational day-care program on the VA's Salem campus. The program will be in a former medical ward. One wing will house adult care, while the other wing will house child care.
Intergenerational day care offers benefits to the individual participants and to the community at large, according to Burris.
When children are brought into an adult-care setting, "[older] people just light up. It's like bringing in light and fresh air. Children are loving, and older people aren't too busy to listen and give worth to that child."
There is also a potential for economic benefits. Centralized adult/child care could reduce the duplication of support services. "We're hoping eventually we could share a nurse and secretarial services," Burris said.
The facility would be open to any qualifying adult, not just veterans. Child care probably will be offered to non-employees as well as to employees, said Tim Woodrum, social work service supervisor at the VA.
The children's program will be contracted out to a child-care operator. Adult Care Center would run the adult-care wing and take the lead in developing intergenerational programs, Burris said.
"We hope to have adult day care in the spring, and we hope to have the children's day care" by September, Woodrum said. Renovation is scheduled to begin sometime after the ward is vacated this month. The VA is donating the space and providing maintenance and utilities.
The arrangement offers Adult Care a chance to expand its services and provides benefits for the VA as well, Woodrum said.
"We look at it as a big benefit for the veterans and the whole community. We want to be involved with the whole community, and this is one way of doing it that meets everybody's needs."
by CNB