Adult day care enhances senior’s quality of life
Every weekday morning around 9, Marie Karkoska, 92, gets picked up on a shuttle bus that sets off to SarahCare in East Whiteland Township, Chester County, where she receives adult day care until 4 p.m.
The routine began many years ago when one of her daughters, Donna Famous of Charlestown, Chester County, needed a solution to keep her mother active and cared for while she was at work all day.
Karkoska has been living with Famous, one of her eight children, for the past 11 1/2 years. Having her in adult day care has enabled her to continue living with family.
“The day care is great,” Famous said. “They keep her moving and active.”
Famous finds it enhances her mother’s quality of life.
“When she’s at home, it’s hard to get her to do anything,” Famous said. “She tends to sit and isn’t very active. She’ll watch TV and do word search books like it’s her job to get them finished.”
Participates in food prep
When at day care, Karkoska is more physically active, participating in food prep, exercise classes, arts and crafts, playing trivia and listening to live music.
“She cuts vegetables and they have a craft room — she’s very artistic,” Famous said. “It’s nice knowing how great it is there and how much they do.”
There is also a social aspect to her day that Karkoska enjoys.
“It’s better than sitting at home, and there are lots of nice people there,” Karkoska said.
Karkoska has always enjoyed crafting and painting, along with sewing, knitting and crocheting.
“I used to sew clothes and everything,” she said, adding she once made a wedding dress for her daughter-in-law, along with flower girl dresses.
Many benefits
Famous sees so many benefits to her mother being in day care that when she retired, she decided to have her continue attending.
“She’s around other people there, and that’s a plus for her,” Famous said, adding it also offers her the ability to keep up with her own activities. “I volunteer at two places and meet up with friends and food shop — I couldn’t do those things without SarahCare.
Famous said that the expense is worth it.
“It’s expensive and costs $80 a day, and we also pay for the transportation,” she said.
On weekends when Famous has her under her care full time, she takes her mother everywhere since it’s not safe to leave her home alone. She also helps out with small tasks around the house.
“I take her out and we’ll go to dinner,” Famous said. “She’ll help fold the laundry and used to help unload the dishwasher.”
Karkoska is still able to shower and dress herself.
“She puts makeup on and makes her bed every day,” Famous said.
Grandmom
While Karkoska still walks without a walker or a cane, Famous tends to hold her arm everywhere they go, whether out shopping or to watch her great-grandson William DePrado’s baseball games.
DePrado is among Karkoska’s 101 grandchildren, great-grandchildren and great-great-grandchildren who call her Grandmom.
“I have lots of grandchildren who are all well and healthy, thank God,” Karkoska said.
The eldest of five generations of women, some of Karkoska’s other children help out taking turns with weekend care. Five family members will be pitching in to care for her while Famous takes a trip to Europe this summer.
As for Karkoska, she’ll continue her active days at SarahCare throughout the summer months.
“We keep busy and it’s a nice place to go,” Karkoska said. “They’re a friendly bunch of people.”
More information
About SarahCare Day Care: SarahCare in East Whiteland Township, Chester County, provides a warm, safe and friendly home-like setting for your loved one to spend the day. They offer a full day of social, recreational and mentally stimulating activities, as well as breakfast, lunch and snacks.
Website: www.sarahcare.com
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