Forget us not, say carers for lonely and frail elderly

"We are still open five days a week" - that's the cry from a day care trust worried that people think it has turned to dust.
"We're very much alive and kicking," Forget Me Not Adult Day Centre staff member Jill Morrow said.
In a reshuffle of funding for aged care services, the centre was dropped from Northland District Health Board's books last year. That almost meant doom - and a large amount of gloom - for the trust that has run its purpose-built day facility since 1994.
Without the health board paying for the frail or just plain lonely clients' regular visits to Forget Me Not, the centre's main funding stream was strangled.
The centre is one of only a handful of day activity options that enable elderly people, often with dementia and physical and intellectual disabilities, to socialise, take part in activities and have a cooked meal away from their homes and family, Ms Morrow said.
Trained staff and security systems cater to ``wanderers' and memory-loss clients.
Recent reports of a shortage of facilities for dementia clients have angered the trust. It says the centre can help fill that gap by providing a day care option for families whose aged members want to live at home.
The majority of clients or their carers preferred not to budge when the health board switched its funding contract to a day facility at the Merrivale rest home, trust chairman Ryan Bruce said.
At the time, Forget Me Not supporters were upset that frail, elderly people were being channelled into rest home based care, he said. Clients preferred the independence that came with Forget Me Not's support.
"How depressing for some old people having to go into rest homes because there's nowhere else or no one else to help take up their needs," Mr Bruce said.
"But the feedback we're getting from people is that they've heard we're shut. We're not."
Trust members, staff and supporters are deep into Plan B _ a funds and awareness-raising drive to enable unfunded clients to stay on. A new fees regime was put in place to subsidise the grants and donations that keep the centre going. Some clients couldn't afford the new day charges, but most opted to pay for as many days as they could manage out of their own pockets.
In the meantime, some generous donations have helped keep the wolf from the door. Recently, Mangakahia Lions Club came to the party with $4000.
"We were gobsmacked. It's wonderful, but it's also appalling we have to do that to look after our old people," Mr Bruce said.
These days, there are about 25 regulars who get picked up from private homes or rest homes.
Among activities they take part in are knitting, pool playing, mini golf, petanque, watching television or videos, reading, puzzles, board games, tai chi, swimming sessions, line dancing, ten-pin bowling, painting classes and outings.
Nestled in the outdoor areas is a vegetable garden for green-thumbed clients.
The produce finds its way into the lunches that are cooked on-site by two chefs.