NEWS

Families benefit from Carr Center's adult day care

Kate Snyder
Reporter
Denise Brown helps her cousin, Irene Collins, into her coat at the Carr Center. Brown drops Collins, who has Down syndrome, off at the center’s adult day care program so she can go to work.

ZANESVILLE – The weekend is Irene Collins's least favorite time of the week — those are the days she doesn't get to go to the Carr Center.

Irene, or "Reni," as her family calls her, is 66 years old and has Down syndrome. She lives with her cousin, Denise Brown, in Zanesville and goes to the adult day care provided by the Carr Center.

Without the day care, Brown said, she would have to spend all of her time taking care of Reni. She wouldn't have time to work, which she needs to do to help put her kids through college.

"If I didn't have the Carr Center, I don't know what I'd do," Brown said.

The adult day care is just one of several programs that benefit from funding raised through the annual Carr Center Cake Auction. The auction raises one-third of the Carr Center's annual budget.

This year is the 29th for the auction, which will be April 23 to 24 at Colony Square Mall.

Without the money raised by the auction, programs such as the adult day care could not serve as many families as it does. Kim Hosler, executive director of the Carr Center, said there are 18 families in the program, which operates Monday through Friday.

Irene Collins points to a number on her bingo board at the Carr Center while playing the game with other members of the center’s adult day care program.

Reni goes to the Carr Center five days a week and has for five years now. The program runs from 7 a.m. to 5 p.m. Reni arrives at about 7:30 a.m. and typically goes home at 5 p.m.

Reni had lived in Cincinnati with her mother, Brown's aunt, but when Brown's aunt wasn't able to care for her anymore, Brown brought Reni to live with her in Zanesville.

Brown's monthly trips to Cincinnati to help care for Reni, became twice monthly. Then she began going three times every month.

"It turned into every weekend," she said. "Then I had to quit my job."

With the adult day care, though, Brown is able to continue working as well as run errands throughout the day, such as grocery shopping. And the program is beneficial to Reni and the other adults in the program.

They do activities such as watch movies, put together puzzles, participate in church programs, sing and play games.

Irene Collins elicits a laugh from her cousin Denise Brown while playing bingo during the Carr Center’s adult day care program. Collins didn’t want to leave the center, but Brown was able to convince her with the promise of a treat from McDonald’s.

Brown said the family had tried putting Reni in a nursing home, but it wasn't a good fit. Reni needs interaction with other people. She needs activities throughout the day. And she needs to be watched closely, Brown said.

"It gives her a little drive to stay alive," Brown said. "It gives her something to look forward to."

ksnyder2@zanesvilletimesrecorder.com

740-450-6752

Twitter: @KL_Snyder

If you go

• What: Annual cake auction to benefit the Carr Center

• When: April 23 to 24

• Where: Colony Square Mall