Yes that is me with several of my former clients in the mid 1990’s in my adult day care program. Of course I am the younger one in the left rear and close to being the tallest. I am confident that on any given day each considered me their son and most told me so. I worked hard to live up to it.
When I wrote and recorded our course for adult day care training on person-centeredness I included some of these stories from my experiences with these gentlemen. Each came from different backgrounds, each brought a different dynamic to our program and each was incredibly appreciative for the attention we showed them all.
Sometimes emotion gets to me when I reflect on my adult day care experiences. My prayer is that current and prospective operators of adult day care centers work hard to make and maintain that emotional connection. This does not mean that conglomerates do not belong in the adult day care business. I work with many of them and often their larger pockets help create programs with significant clinical power that truly benefits a community in a variety of ways.
They just need to make sure those they hire in key positions understand the emotional connection needed for that real human touch. It will create a sense of fulfillment that you will take to your grave after touching lives in a meaningful way.
What are your thoughts?
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