Including Everyone
When are residents not community members? When they live in a specific area but cannot participate in it. Isolation results, often because of poverty and poor health, especially among elderly and developmentally challenged people. Fortunately, Circle of Friends, in Inglewood, Calif., helps its most disadvantaged residents not only avoid isolation and institutionalization but also helps them connect to and participate in their community.Circle of Friends is an adult day healthcare center. It provides much-needed medical and social services to the low-income frail elderly and to developmentally challenged adults of Inglewood. Services include transportation to and from the center; two warm meals; nursing care and medication management; physical, occupational and speech therapy; psychological counseling; and many social activities. Moreover, caregivers who would otherwise provide this care get a much-needed respite.
Some may say that Circle of Friends is not the community of Inglewood but is, instead, another institution. But an activity coordinator does plan community outings, and participants do attend the outings. They may not fully participate in their churches, libraries, restaurants and shopping centers as they had, but they also do not remain at home, cut off from everyone.
Circle of Friends promotes a sense of community. Its participants, many of whom have similar diagnoses like Alzheimer’s disease or arthritis, have similar interests. They have created subgroups — bible study, Latino activities, arts and crafts, computers. Soon, the center will host a smoking cessation group, too.
Circle of Friends also links its participants back to their community roots. Teachers from the Inglewood School District visit the participants and talk about current events. To commemorate our participants’ community contributions, city officials, including Inglewood’s Mayor Roosevelt Dorn, occasionally drop by. The local police and fire department recently participated in Circle of Friends’ big event — the annual picnic held at a community park. A local ROTC escorted lady participants on senior prom day, and a local pastor visits weekly to give sermons.
Circle of Friends takes lives broken by poverty and physical infirmity and restores their value to themselves and their community. Once isolated and depressed, participants not only get well: the entire dynamics of their families change. Their caregivers no longer overwork in caring for their loved ones. Circle of Friends instead helps out. Because the participants experience a sense of renewal, they give more back to everyone; they enrich the entire community because they contribute to it in their own dignified way.
Congratulations to Circle of Friends and its empowered participants. Everybody wins!
Life Steps Foundation
- General Information: (800) 530-5433
All Contents © 2001 LIFE STEPS FOUNDATION INC.
All Contents © 2001 LIFE STEPS FOUNDATION INC.