Edwards Adult Day Center officially cuts the ribbon Friday on its Zen Room
Martinsville, Va. — Edwards Adult Day Center today celebrated the grand opening of its Zen Room at its location on Commonwealth Boulevard in Martinsville. The room is a new outlet for the center to support its most vulnerable participants, those with Alzheimer’s, dementia, autism, and other sensory challenges.
“Zen means peace, rest, and tranquility — those words really resonate with me and that’s what I want our participants to experience when they visit the Zen Room,” said Patsy Dillard, executive director of Edwards Adult Day Center. “We tailor each visit to our participants. We know what works for one doesn’t work for all. We also have fidget (toys) and other tactile objects they can use while sitting, and we pay close attention to how they respond to certain experiences within the room.”
Edwards Adult Day Center serves seniors, adults with disabilities, and their caregivers who need support. The center has nurses on staff providing care, along with meals, daily exercise, devotions, field trips, socialization, and other specific programs designed to meet the needs of participants.
Dillard said to better serve participants who utilize the sensory room, they’ve sent home questionnaires to caregivers inquiring about their favorite songs and other activities that put them at ease.
“The goal is to help someone enjoy their day,” Dillard said. “If they come in feeling down or a certain way, we want them to come out of the sensory room feeling better. This has been a passion for me and the staff to be able to provide this service for our participants.”
Friday’s celebration included a ribbon cutting with staff, members of the center’s board of directors, and representatives from The Harvest Foundation, which provided a grant of nearly $94,000 to develop the sensory room, offer support for caregivers, and purchase two buses that are used to transport participants to the center and for field trips.
DeWitt House, senior program officer at The Harvest Foundation, said the center has done a wonderful job serving its clients and creating a safe haven for individuals in need.
“The Zen Room is a carefully curated environment that empowers individuals to engage with their senses in a controlled and supportive setting,” he said. “Ms. (Patsy) Dillard remarked on how small the room is, but you have to start somewhere, and they’re already developing ideas to build on this success.”
Za’Tasia Wells, the sensory coordinator, sees firsthand how the sensory room improves the lives and experiences of participants.
“We’ve found that many times, one-on-one interactions are better for participants who have dementia and other challenges,” Wells said. “We spend about 20 to 25 minutes in the room with music, quiet time, or talking sessions. We chart on all participants using the room, so we get a sense of how they interact with things like ocean and rain sounds, what songs they like, and other stimuli they respond to.”
Wells said they visited other sensory rooms to build the Zen Room at the center. She said while they adopted some of the ideas they saw, they tailored many of the experiences to fit the specific needs of their center’s clientele.
Many families of participants find much support and love at Edwards Adult Day Center in services for caregivers. Shekinah Spencer, the office assistant, said Dillard takes special care to teach caregivers how to take care of themselves so they can be there for their loved ones.
“They talk about how they feel, how much it means to be a caregiver, and it’s wonderful that they have that support,” Spencer said.
Flossie Wilson is one of those caregivers. Her husband Kenneth is a participant, visiting the day center for the past few years. She said she was worried when he started going because Kenneth has dementia and is nonverbal, but her worries didn’t last long.
“He gets right on the bus, and that makes me very happy,” she said. “I thought we would have issues with separation, but he doesn’t give me any problems. The staff is so good to him here.” Flossie lives in Cascade and said having the option of a bus picking him up has made all the difference.
“I’m thankful for the bus — that’s one of the best things they’ve done,” she said. “It’s very taxing for caregivers. It’s a lot to deal with. I’m thankful we have Patsy (Dillard) and this center here. I appreciate the kindness that’s here.”
Edwards Adult Day Center is open Monday to Friday from 7 a.m. to 5 p.m. The center is located at 431 E Commonwealth Blvd in Martinsville, Virginia. Visit www.edwardsadc.org or call (276) 666-9400 to find out more.
