Elderwise is transforming the culture of aging. We accomplish this through our innovative Elder Day Center and through our educational and outreach programs. The foundation of our work is recognizing the value and wholeness of all people.

Description:
Elderwise is foremost an educational, experiential, and extension organization which has a model adult day center to demonstrate our philosophies and therapies. The Elderwise base philosophy is one of spirit-centered care: care that tends the very essence of a person, not just their body. Enrichment is at the core of the Elderwise therapeutic experience. The foundation of our work is to enable caregivers, family members and healthcare professionals to recognize the value and wholeness of all the aged in their work with the frail elder. Also, to demonstrate that no matter how frail – either cognitively or physically – an elder is, they are still capable of tremendous expression and communication if put in the right environment. We have also become an important resource for long-term care providers who wish to enhance the care they provide to their charges or family members. Elderwise is considered a model program by the Washington Health Foundation and is a member of the Washington Adult Day Services Association.
The three Elderwise Programs are:

1. Offsite programs that take our philosophies, unique and therapeutic enrichment classes and meaningful discussion group to nursing homes, assisted living centers and other residential settings for elders. Through this extension program, we estimate that we’ve reached and enriched the lives of hundreds, possibly thousands of seniors in our community. Last year marked our first Elderwise offspring program: Elderwise trained staff from Gaffney House (see support letter, Steve Emmer) to conduct Elderwise-based classes. We now just consult/check-in every four months to evaluate the program.
2. Training for long-term care professionals from throughout the Puget Sound region and statewide in our cutting edge philosophies and curriculum. Elderwise was recently asked to conduct a workshop in our philosophies and enrichment classes to all the Senior Centers of Seattle. We have also recently conducted workshops at the Washington Adult Day Service and at the University of Washington (see support letter, Patti Noritake).
3. An Adult Day Program that operates daily in a center that serves elders from the Greater Seattle area along with providing a model in spirit-centered care.



History:
Elderwise began in 1997 as a small grassroots organization operating one day a week in the home of its director. Since then, Elderwise has moved into its own facility, grown exponentially and now serves hundreds of frail individuals living in a wide variety of settings. We have also become an important resource for long-term care providers who wish to enhance the care they provide to their charges or family members. Elderwise is considered a model program by the Washington Health Foundation and is a member of the Washington Adult Day Services Association.
We are proud of our internship program which in 2005-6 included undergraduate and graduate students from the University of Washington, Antioch University and Edmonds Community College. These students now have a strong foundation in the person-centered care (care for the whole person – mind, body and spirit) we offer and will take that with them as they teach, make policy or work in elder programming
Elderwise was recently honored by an invitation to host an exhibit featuring 40 framed watercolors painted by our participants with dementia at the 2006 WA State Alzheimer's Association Annual Conference. We were featured on a KCTS short with Nancy Guppy and in articles in Senior Digest, Seattle Times, and in two nursing/social work textbooks. 



Contact people:


Sandy Sabersky, Executive Director, (phone), (email) Tamara Keefe, Program Director, (phone), (email) Ann Koziol, Program Director, (phone), (email)


Office fax number: (206) 329-8295

Address:


1820 East Pine Street, Suite 201 Seattle, WA 98122 This location is handicap accessible (See a map)


Web Site: http://www.elderwise.org

Directions:

Elderwise is south of Madison on Pine Street between 18th and 19th.

Miscellaneous Information

Liability
	No
Does your organization welcome court-ordered community service volunteers?
	No
Does your organization have volunteer positions for youth 12-18?
	No

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