News

Gull House Celebrates Adult Day Services Week - Invites Public to Open House

09/02/03

Adult Day Services Week, September 21-27, 2003, highlights the increasingly important role adult day centers serve for members of our maturing population who require special care and their caregivers. Gull House, Beebe Medical Center’s Adult Activities Center in Rehoboth Beach, welcomes the public to its open house during Adult Day Services Week on Wednesday, September 24, 2003 from 9 - 11 a.m. Gull House is located at 23 Terrace Road (across from Spring Lake, behind Ocean Bay Mart Plaza on Route 1). Light refreshments will be served.

By 2030, according to the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, there will be about 70 million older persons, more than twice the number in 2000, as “baby boomers” age. One in 10 persons over 65 and nearly half of those over 85 have Alzheimer’s disease, according to the Alzheimer’s Association.

Beebe Medical Center established Gull House to bridge the gap between 24-hour home care and nursing home care, and provide a “home away from home” for older adults who need special care. Gull House provides a structured and supervised daytime adult care program for functionally impaired persons in our community who are 60 years of age and older. It strives to support or improve social, mental, emotional and physical levels of functioning to enhance daily quality of life for clients.

During the open house, guests will have the opportunity to tour the facility, learn about daily activities, eligibility requirements and funding sources, and discuss the resources and support Gull House offers for clients and caregivers.
“We want Gull House to be an extension of participants’ homes,” explains Kathy Schlitter, R.N., Supervisor and 14-year employee at Gull House. “Approximately 80 percent of our clients have some form of memory impairment. Routine is vital for these individuals, and we provide a structured daily menu of activities for mental stimulation,” Ms. Schlitter explains.

Additionally, the experienced, caring Gull House team recognizes the importance of caregiver encouragement and offers a Caregiver’s Support Group for Alzheimer’s and other diseases the third Thursday of each month.

The facility receives funding from the Division of Services for the Aging and Adults with Physical Disabilities as well as Medicaid Waiver, the Veterans’ Administration of Delaware and private pay. For more information, please contact Gull House at 226-2160.

Beebe Medical Center is a not-for-profit community medical center with a mission to encourage healthy living, prevent illness, and restore optimal health with the people residing, working, or visiting in the communities we serve. For more information, please visit us online at www.beebemed.org.