Iona Adult Day Health, Wellness & Arts Center Receives Prestigious “Excellence in Care Dementia Program of Distinction” status by the Alzheimer’s Foundation of America

First of Its Kind on the East Coast

Washington DC— Iona Adult Day Health, Wellness & Arts Center is the proud recipient of the “Excellence in Care Dementia Program of Distinction” status as awarded by the Alzheimer’s Foundation of America (AFA). This accolade is the first of its kind awarded to any adult day health center on the east coast.

Iona Adult Day Health, Wellness & Arts is a medical model day program with a mission of providing person-centered care to individuals with Alzheimer’s disease or related illnesses who are 60 years or better.  The center offers multilevel programming for participants of varying physical abilities.

“We at Iona Adult Day Health strive to provide the highest quality of care to our participants,” said Director Jewelyn Sims. “We are thrilled that our Center and our dementia programming has received national recognition by the Alzheimer’s Foundation of America. This distinction highlights to the community our staff’s passion, commitment and caring which results in an engaging environment in which all can thrive.”

The Alzheimer’s Foundation of America (AFA) Excellence in Care Dementia program is believed to be the first national program involving comprehensive standards, on-site evaluation and consultation to promote continual performance improvement for dementia care settings, such as assisted living and skilled nursing facilities, continuum of care residential communities and adult day programs.

The Iona Adult Day Health, Wellness & Arts Center is unique in that it offers customized care plans and activities for each participant’s individual needs. These plans are created in tandem with the participant’s physician as well as the Center’s social worker, clinical nurse manager, art therapist and program manager.  Iona also has a registered nursing staff onsite who closely monitor participants’ health, provide personal care, administer medications and address various other medical needs. Most important, this licensed nursing staff keep the lines of communication open and inform families and physicians of changes in the participants’ health in an effort to avoid major problems in the future.

Wellness and arts are an integral component of the Center’s daily activities. Enriching and fun-filled activities are designed to ensure that participants’ physical, cognitive and creative functioning is maintained at the highest possible level. Some activities include: seated chair exercise, brain-boosting games, cooking, and creative arts. Art Therapy is a hallmark component, along with field trips to museums and other scenic tours in the metropolitan DC area.

Caregivers also benefit from the Center. In addition to the much needed respite, Iona provides caregivers the added bonus of person-centered care planning meetings about the participant. Iona also educates caregivers about dementia and other topics and serves as a forum for caregiver support groups and supportive counseling.

Iona’s Adult Day Health, Wellness & Arts Center is open on Monday through Friday 8:15 am to 5:00 pm and is located at 4125 Albemarle Street, N.W.

For ore information on these programs and services please call 202-895-9448.

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Iona Senior Services is a non profit organization founded in 1975 that works with people 60 years and older, their families and caregivers. Iona’s professional staff and dedicated volunteers provide a comprehensive range of information and services designed to help seniors maintain their independence.