A Beacon of Support

July 25, 2008

By Sheila Julson

St. Ann Center celebrates 25 years

In the early 1980s, Sr. Edna Lonergan, known as “Sr. Edna,” was director of rehabilitation for the Sisters of St. Francis of Assisi. Sisters who needed care received it at their own health care facility at the motherhouse complex where many of them lived, therefore staying in a familiar environment. Lonergan thought it would be good to offer the same kind of service to the general public.

With the aid of then-County Supervisor Daniel Cupertino Jr., Lonergan received a $23,000 community service block grant to care for 11 people, and St. Ann Center was born.

Seven expansions later, St. Ann Center for Intergenerational Care, 2801 E. Morgan Ave., celebrated its 25th anniversary this July. The center has grown to include respite care, outpatient rehabilitation, an indoor handicap-accessible pool, art and music therapy, pet therapy, a coffee and smoothie bar, a salon, and wellness services such as massage, hypnosis, and Reiki.

Almost all of the services are available to the public. Handmade jewelry, arts and crafts, and homemade natural hygienic items are for sale and displayed throughout the center.

Originally, St. Ann just cared for adults, said Lonergan, now the center’s president. But single mother caregivers would occasionally have to miss work to tend to their children’s needs. Lonergan suggested instead that the mothers bring the children with them to work. The value of all-ages integration was soon realized, and Lonergan said the concept also proved cost-effective.

Variety of Care
Intergenerational care has been practiced in England since the 1950s and in the United States since the 1970s, Lonergan said. The concept is still unique, and Lonergan said her center has held workshops on how to set up intergenerational care, attracting attendees from around the globe.

While St. Ann’s mission has always been advocating good care and keeping one in a familiar environment, Lonergan said the mission has grown more comprehensive over the years.

Now the center also provides stay-healthy programs for children, the elderly, and people with disabilities regardless of faith, culture, or ability to pay.

St. Ann is funded through a variety of sources, including federal and state programs like Medicare and W-2, private payers, donations, and foundation grants. There are also the widely advertised raffles, and the Adopt-A-Life program, where someone can adopt a person who can’t afford services.

The center is a home away from home for children, the elderly, and the handicapped.

Shawn Chilson, director of the St. Ann adult day services department since 2002, said programs include massage therapy, swim, art and ceramics, and music therapy.

Program attendance has climbed. For example, because of increased interest, a part-time ceramics teacher has been converted to full-time to teach added night classes.

“We are an intergenerational facility so we mix the activities with the children as much as possible,” Chilson said. Adults and children are viewed as resources for one another.

“We don’t want the babies to cry,” Lonergan said, and explained that when the infants are restless and exercising their little lungs, the front desk will announce a “Rock-A-Bye Alert” over the PA system. The first three people to arrive at the front desk get to rock the babies.

Children also get the opportunity to engage in art and dramatic play in the child day services.

Providing Comfort
A walk through the indoor garden with its plants, patio tables and chairs, and a play area for children offers a relaxing feel. Pet birds chirp and the interior stucco walls are painted in warm hues, decorated with lanterns and wrought-iron-framed windows, heightening the feeling of being outdoors. Strolling through the center, one will see artwork by both adults and children.

In an apartment area with a bedroom, kitchen, bathroom, and laundry facilities, stroke survivor patients are taught how to dress, cook, and bathe themselves. Speech therapy, outpatient rehabilitation, and spiritual enrichment counseling are offered. Massage therapy and Reiki, a Japanese form of hands-on healing, are provided in rooms with trendy décor comparable to any downtown spa.

The center also offers classes in “Benevolent Touch.”

Sandy Anderson, who has taught Benevolent Touch at St. Ann Center since 2001, said that a gentle nurturing touch [massage] for older people or those with special needs helps them feel secure in their surroundings, reduces anxiety, relieves muscle tension, and creates a stronger bond with their caregiver.

“The course is designed for caregivers of one sort or another,” Anderson said. “Typically, our audience includes nurses, nursing assistants, therapists, chaplains, activity professionals, and caregivers who take care of a loved one.”

Last spring, St. Ann opened its on-site respite care center. Respite care offers temporary relief for caregivers from the ongoing responsibility of caring for special-needs loved ones.

“If I was going on vacation, I’d want to be sure that my mom or my dad is going to have as great of a time as I’m going to have—and that my mom or dad is going to be in as nice a place as I’m going to be in,” Lonergan said. “Some of those hotels are beautiful, and this place should be, too.”

The respite center can accommodate up to nine people in its European-cottage-themed rooms with names like the “Irish Tea Room,” “Spanish Hacienda,” “Polish/Polenz Room,” and the “French Maison.” Each room is decorated according to its namesake’s culture, like the “Norwegian Room,” which is painted in cheery shades of blue and green with clean-lined modern furniture. Respite guests can stay for up to 20 days.

Touching Lives
Lonergan’s work in intergenerational care has touched those around her.

She told the story of 4-year-old Mary, one of the child day services participants, who ran into two other children at an Easter Bunny Breakfast. The two little girls noticed a disabled adult in a wheelchair. They stopped and stared, not sure what to make of the disabled person.

But little Mary warmly approached the disabled person and announced to the other little girls, “She’s my friend.”

The two little girls were no longer afraid and went right in.

Click images to enlarge.