Best Friends First Impressions

Best Friends Day Center is a day care facility for adults with memory-loss diseases.  It's a part of a much larger organization called the Alzheimer's Association. It's located at Bridgepoint at Ashgrove Woods as a part of Christian Care Communities. It is a faith-based organization, so many of their daily activities that include religious meanings. For example, they sometimes sing church hymns or make arts and crafts.

http://www.bridgepointeassistedcare.com/

Today was my first day to visit, and I think I'm going to have a great time volunteering there. When I first walked in, I was greeted by multiple people telling me how excited they were to have some younger volunteers. I could hear the folks singing songs in the room next to me, and in between songs I heard a lot of chatter and laughter. There was also a cage with a lot of birds that were chirping and flying all around. In the main room there were a ton of pictures hanging up on the cabinets. It seems like a really happy, cheerful place.

I chose to volunteer at this organization because I think what they do is incredible. So many volunteers and workers spend their time to make these people feel as comfortable and happy as possible. The only person I've ever known that had Alzheimer's disease was my great-grandmother, and I was too young when she passed to even remember her. However, I know how hard it was for my family, so I want to be able to help these people and their families as much as possible.

Today I only filled out paperwork, so I wasn't able to actually sit down and speak with any of the patients. I can't wait for my next visit to Best Friends so I can see more into what they do. As of now, I've only heard about what they do. This is due to the fact that they don't have any kind of social media which has made it hard for me to find out too much information. I'll just have to wait to find out by doing hands-on activities there later this week!!

--Mollie

First Impressions of My New Best Friends

Best Friends Day Center, a service provided by Bridgepointe at Ashgrove Woods, is an adult day center facility for individuals that have been diagnosed with a mental impairment disease like Alzheimer's Disease, dementia, and more. This facility serves the adults with these diseases and their caregivers in Lexington and close surrounding cities in Kentucky. Best Friends serves the adults by providing them with a safe environment to spend their day and a way to positively stimulate their minds with Christian based activities like a sing along session, arts and crafts, and much more. The facility serves the caregivers by giving them a way to be released from the work of the continuous care they give daily.

Photo Credit: http://vancouver.ca/parks-recreation-culture/arts-and-health-project.aspx

From the Bridgepointe website
Photo Credit: http://www.bridgepointeassistedcare.com/

I attended my first orientation of the facility Friday September 11, 2015. When I walked in, I could not help but notice the bright colors and all the artwork on the walls. As I walked around the facility, it felt like a warm loving and caring spirit wrapped around me. Talking to the workers really brought home the concept they call the Best Friends Approach. This is the model of care that the Best Friends Day Center bases its work on. Learning to truly understand this concept and be able to work under this type of concept is what I look forward to the most, besides volunteering my time to help the adults there. This model of care was created to provide the individuals under the care with the best day they can possible have with the circumstances they are surrounded with. This approach to care requires staff and volunteers to display respect, empathy, support, trust, and humor to ensure that the relationship between the adults in care and the people working with them is the most compassionate. The Best Friends Approach to care is a concept I truly look forward to learning because by mastering this model of care I will have the capability to give the most compassionate and correct care in any healthcare work environment.

Lexington, Ky. 16th Apr, 2014. Volunteers Linda Whipple, left, and Sara Farmer, right, help Gelena Meade with Easter decorations at Best Friends Day Center in Lexington, Ky., on April 16, 2014. © Pablo Alcala/Lexington Herald-Leader/MCT/Alamy Live News
Photo Credit: http://www.alamy.com/stock-photo-lexington-ky-16th-apr-2014-volunteers-linda-whipple-left-and-sara-68863428.html

Best Friends Day Center does not have a website of its own or any social media. Therefore, as I go through my journey at this organization, I hope to learn so much about this facility and all the adults that partake in the service it provides. I cannot wait for my next visits with my new Best Friends to learn more about them individually. Hopefully, I made the same impression on them that my new Best Friends have made on me.

*Best Friends has a strict policy of photographs of the adults in care or the facility because of the HIPAA privacy rule. Based on this policy, none of the pictures in these posts will be of the actually individuals or the side except pictures that the newspapers had the right to publish. The pictures posted will be similar images to what I experience at Best Friends Day Center.

What is Best Friends?

     Best Friends Day Center is a program which cares for people with dementia, day in and day out. Best Friends consists of both professionals and volunteers, like myself and the rest of my group. It is an organization dedicated to improving the lives of those with memory loss, and their families. This is done through entertainment (such as singing and games) and therapeutic approaches. The Alzheimer's Association oversees the Best Friends location. Best Friends itself does not have a website or social media. It is a faith-based organization, associated with Christian Care Communities.

This photo is from the Alzheimer's Association website. Pictured is Lexington's Walk to End Alzheimer's, which my parents and I participated in last year.

     I first became interested in Best Friends when my mom volunteered there for the first time a few years ago. She always seemed so happy when she came home from volunteering, and I was really glad she had found a place where she could help people. But to be honest I had never visited the place, so I never really understood what was so amazing about it. 

     

     Eventually though, my mom asked me to play music at Best Friends. This seemed kind of daunting because I had never performed (I play French Horn) in front of so many adults. It turned out to be a pretty moving experience, though. The people didn't judge me, they really just loved having someone play for them. The connection I felt with these people when I played "Over the Rainbow," and my friend played "Amazing Grace," on trumpet, was surreal. These people, for the most part, are many years older than myself, but we found a way to connect through music they knew, and I knew. Many of them won't be able to recall the day my friend and I came in to perform that informal concert, but I will forever remember it. I truly believe that it's okay if someone doesn't remember what happened in the last ten minutes, hours, days, as long as they really enjoyed that experience. And that is what I think is great about Best Friends: the goal is to simply help these people enjoy life. What could be a better mission than that?

     Well, this blog post has kind of gone in a few directions, but the point is that I am really glad to be involved in Best Friends again. What these people are going through is difficult; nobody asks for their memories to be taken away, after all. I believe they deserve the best care possible, and it is my hope that I can make some kind of difference in my time here.

Let's Be Friends

Best Friends Day Center is an adult day care facility in Lexington, Kentucky for people who have been diagnosed with dementia or alzheimer’s. Best Friends is part of a larger, national organization called the ‘Alzheimer’s Association,’ whose goal is to provide care for adults with mental diseases nationwide. Best Friends provides a private and pleasant apartment for all their residents, while also offering assisted living from caregivers.

While doing research, I discovered that Best Friends is a faith-based facility and works in conjunction with a Christian Care community called Bridgepointe at Ashgrove Woods.

The Christian Care community was founded in 1884 and is currently supported by over 230 churches in the Lexington area. Each year, Bridgepointe claims to serve over 3,000 older adults with their program and to enhance the journey of life and faith for all their adults. This really excited me, as I’m looking forward to talking to the adults about their faith. I believe the best way to learn something about life is to talk with those who have been through it already. Job 12:12 states, “Is not wisdom found among the aged? Does not long life bring understanding?” There is a lot of wisdom to be gained from elders, and I am blessed with the opportunity to be around them every week at Best Friends. Often times while people are serving others, they receive something intangible, but very special, for themselves. As the trips to the Best Friends accumulate, I hope to learn more about myself and how I can make a difference in society. I sincerely believe that this will be a very beneficial experience for me.

The reason I chose to volunteer at Best Friends is because my grandpa on my mother’s side had dementia and unfortunately passed away back in May. My grandpa was a great man who didn’t deserve to have such an awful disease afflict him. No one deserves to be hurt by alzheimer’s, and I want to help as many adults at Best Friends as I can, even if it’s just making someone smile on a rough day. Sometimes people run away from taking care of adults with alzheimer’s because it can be difficult to be around them, but after dealing with my grandpa, I found that all he wanted was love and compassion rather than frustration or anger. I saw my grandpa go through the entire process of dealing with dementia. Every month he would forget more and more of his life, and he would repeat questions every 5 minutes. Alzheimer’s is a very depressing disease, but I’m hoping to bring some positivity, laughter, and love to Best Friends Day Center. 

Websites:

Christian Care Communties

Alzheimer's Association

Bridgepointe at Ashgrove Woods

Address:

5220 Grey Oak Lane 

Nicholasville, KY 40356

Reflections and First Impressions ...

Best Friends Day Center is an adult day-care program located here in Lexington, Kentucky for those suffering from some type of permanent memory loss (Alzheimer’s disease, dementia, etc.).  This program helps those dealing with the disease, as well as their families  in a multitude of ways by providing a safe, creative, and therapeutic environment.  Family members are oftentimes the sole caretakers, which is certainly a full time job.  They are needed 24/7.  Best Friends gives families a reprieve from the constant worry and stress by providing a facility that will keep their loved ones out of harm’s way and will stimulate their brain in a positive manner through a number of activities such as dance classes, card/board games, singing and much more.  Because Alzheimer’s disease runs in my family, I have unfortunately been witness to how draining the role of caretaker can be in situations like these.  Having a few hours where you know your loved one is safe means the absolute world. 

I attended orientation on Friday with a few of my other group members, and as soon as I walked through the doors, I knew I had made the right decision by choosing Best Friends.  The first thing I noticed as I stepped through the doors was the bird cage in the lobby filled with a beautiful variety of finches.  They provided a calm over the area — bringing nature to the indoors.  The facility was extremely warm and inviting.  I really liked how the facility was placed on the outskirts of a neighborhood.  This just re-enforced the community feel of the organization.  After filling out some paperwork, we were able to go into the common area and sing with the patients.  They enjoyed picking out songs and singing along with us.  It was such a great moment!      

 Look at how cute these finches are!
photo credit: http://www.petful.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/03/pet-finches.jpg (exact author unknown)   

Best Friends doesn’t have a website or any kind of social media, so as my service-learning journey continues, I hope to learn more about this wonderful organization and share my findings with you all. Best Friends Day Center was my top choice because, as I mentioned above, Alzheimer’s disease runs in my family.  I lost my great-grandmother to the disease most recently and it certainly struck a chord inside me.  Alzheimer’s is a very unique disease.  It doesn’t attack your body necessarily, but your mind - who you truly are as a person.  There is nothing worse than being confused constantly.  Dementia and other diseases that cause permanent memory loss force their victim into a world of unfamiliarity and fear; it is a world that they are unable to escape.  This makes me even more passionate about this organization and its mission.  I look forward to visiting with and getting to know each individual at Best Friends and (of course) doing some more singing over the next few months! 

*Best Friends has strict rules regarding the taking of photos on their property; however, I will be able to upload photos that are similar to what we see at Best Friends.  

- Madalyn