'I love it here:' Oromocto adult day centre made permanent after successful project

Gary Thorne didn't know what to expect when he first joined the Meaningful Connections Adult Day Centre as a 59-year-old living with dementia.

After his diagnosis of early onset mixed dementia in 2020, which forced him to leave his job in the military, he spent years inside his home, distancing himself from friends.

Not knowingwhat the centre would be like felt daunting and strange.

A few months ago, Thorne mustered the courage to go for the first time and hasn't stopped going since.

"I realized that what they're about is accepting people that have a disease, of Alzheimer's or dementia, and they treat everybody just like they're normal," said Thorne.

He saidhis life has improved dramatically since he joined the program, which is designed for adults 65 and older. He saidhe's able to move more and his overall happiness has increased due to frequent social interaction.

His wife Michelle Thorne said the program has been a "godsend" for her husband.

"I couldn't encourage him to do things at home, it doesn't have the same impact," said Thorne."Meaningful Connections gives him an interest in going out and talking with peers."

Registered nurse Katherina Burns began Meaningful Connections as a pilot project in September, to fill a need for respite care in the Oromocto area.

Now, because of success stories like Thorne's, the program has officially been extended indefinitely and others like it are popping up across the province.

Burns said there has been a gap in care for seniors in Oromocto since 2015 when the Victorian Order of Nurses disbanded, forcing adult day centres in Oromocto and Fredericton topermanently close.

"It was just something that I was really passionate about and really wanted to deliver to the community to help our seniors stay in their homes as long as possible," said Burns.

She said the goal of the program is to extend a senior's time at home, provide respite to caretakers, and to offer care and a sense of community to seniors with dementia.

Shift - NB9:42Meaningful Connections

An adult day centre in Oromocto is helping seniors with dementia feel a strongersense of belonging. The CBC's Isabelle Leger tells that story.

Meaningful Connections began offering care to two clients three days a week and now provides care to 12 clients five days a week.

The clients are provided entertainment, including from local musicianson a weekly basis, exercise, crafts and nursingcare.

Burns has heard from family members who say their loved ones are now sleeping better, are able to access a wider vocabulary, and that they're happier and have an overall higher quality of life.

Hazel Doucet can attest to that.

She had been looking for a respite care program until Meaningful Connections began and she hasn't looked back since joining.

"I've made a lot of new friends and they do a lot of activities, which is really important for me motion-wise to be able to walk," said Doucet.

She said her life has improved significantly since joining the program, both in terms of happiness and health.

"I love it here and I will be coming back even though I'm getting better because I really enjoy it."

Shift - NB9:43MeaningfulConnections Update

You may remember a pilot project in Oromocto we told you about a couple of months ago. Its organizer Katherina Burns says the program, which helps seniors withdementia, has received funding to continue.

Meaningful Connections is one of 12 adult day centres across the province funded by the Department of Social Development.

Burns said she hopes to continue growing the program with the help of additional volunteers and nurses and eventually partner with health-care entities to "bridge the gap in terms of continuity of care from home in the community to special care to long-term care."

She said she has requested additional funding from the departmentto add more nursing staff, as the program is currently capped at 12.

Burns said the need for this kind of care is far higher than what is currently being offered in the community, but one barrier is getting the word out to seniors who would benefit.

In order to raise awareness, Burns has started hosting breakfast socials for seniors in the community.

Kate Wright, a spokesperson for the Department of Social Development, said in a statement to CBC News that these programs are offered at no cost to families.

"The Department of Social Development is looking to support more adult day centres and it provides guidance and consultation to support in opening and expanding programs across the province," said Wright.

12,000 with dementia in N.B.

Chandra MacBean, executive director of the Alzheimer Society of New Brunswick, said there are about 12,000 seniors in the province living with dementia being supported by an estimated 70,000 to 90,000 caregivers.

She said having access to adult day centres, overnight respite care and education programs for caretakers and those living with dementia are critical for making sure the patient can stay home as long as possible.

"Caring for a person who is living with dementia as the disease progresses is exhausting. It's 24 hours a day and it's not something you can easily take a break from," said MacBean.

Oftentimes, saidMacBean,a person'sadmission into long-term or special care is directly linked to their caregiver's inability to support them.

"For more situations, having access to a break, quality interventions that support both the person with the disease and the caregiver in their community, can really reduce the amount of time that a person spends in long-term care," she said.

She said the isolation that comes with receiving a dementia diagnosis can be detrimental to the well-being of that patient and often stems from the person not wanting to disclose their diagnosis, or people around them not knowing how to act, given their diagnosis.

MacBean said adult day centres are important, as they provide seniors with dementia a reason to leave their home. They alsoprovidesocial interactions with people who understand their symptoms.

She said dementia patients who participated in adult day centres have expressed benefits beyond the social aspect.

"Maybe they find that their memory is a little bit better and maybe they're better able to manage some of their day-to-day tasks a bit better," said MacBean.

She said the province is still in need of a wider offering of community adult day centres and education programs for caretakers and those living with dementia.