By Daily Press staff
Wise Senior Services opened this week a $3.6 million state-of-the-art adult day service center that is equipped and built with the needs of the ever-growing senior population in mind.
The new facility is located at 1510 Pico Boulevard — west of Santa Monica College — and contains 6,779 square feet of usable floor space, plus an underground garage, which tripled Wise’s current capacity to serve more than 1,000 clients per year in the future.
WISE Senior Services has served the community for 33 years and this year received the “Agency of the Year” honor from the City of Los Angeles.
“Today marks the manifestation of a dream come true,” said Maria Arechaederra, president and CEO of WISE Senior Services on Wednesday, the day of the grand opening. “Over 20 years ago, WISE developed one of the first-ever adult day care centers in Los Angeles. As we served the community through the years, we were challenged to build a facility especially equipped to serve our growing, diverse, and changing population of older adults.”
Major donors, representing gifts of $100,000 and more, are Emilio A. Arechaederra, the City of Santa Monica, W.M. Keck Foundation, Ahmanson Foundation, Weingart Foundation, and the Ralph M. Parsons Foundation.
Benefactors, representing gifts of $50,000 and more, are the Roth Family Foundation, The Arechaederra Family, Henry Braun Foundation, Kenneth C. Davis, Joseph Drown Foundation, and Braune Family Trust. Gifts from trustees include The Parish of St. Matthew, Georgia Frontiere, and additional anonymous gifts.
WISE adult day service program is a first in many ways providing the only state-designated Alzheimer’s Day Care Resource Center on the westside of Los Angeles and the only one offering extended hours, 7:30 a.m. until 6: 30 p.m., which gives respite for caregivers who work full time.
The Adult Day Service staff is skilled in providing the proper level of assistance to chronically ill clients while coping positively with the behavioral changes, depression and frustration which accompany some of the Alzheimer’s patients attending the center. Medication may often be minimized when patients have the stimulation and reassurance of an exemplary care program.
Daily activities at the day care center includes discussions on engaging subject covering current and cultural events, daily exercise including walking, gentle chair yoga, dancing and outings. Other activities include daily “memory joggers,” craft classes, music therapy, gardening, art and cooking therapy, entertainment programs and intergenerational events that join older adults and children of all ages.
Originally published in the Santa Monica Daily Press print edition on October 26, 2002. Read the original PDF.