Site announced for adult day program

GROSSE POINTE CITY — Caregivers will soon have a new place nearby where loved ones with memory problems such as Alzheimer’s disease can be watched, cared for and engaged.

As part of a 0.35-mill levy approved by voters in Harper Woods, Grosse Pointe City, Grosse Pointe Farms, Grosse Pointe Park and Grosse Pointe Woods in November 2024, The Helm at the Boll Life Center plans to operate an adult day program. Helm officials announced Jan. 29 that they had finally found a site for it: inside the Henry Ford Health Ralph C. Wilson Jr. Campus, in the former Wilson Center: Senior Resources for Independent Living at 17141 Kercheval Ave. in Grosse Pointe City’s Village shopping district.

Helm Executive Director Krista Siddall said this is a partnership with Henry Ford Health — also The Helm’s partner for its headquarters on Ridge Road in Grosse Pointe Farms — and longtime supporter Mary Wilson, widow of Ralph C. Wilson.

The Helm Life Center Adult Day Program is aimed at people ages 60 and older in The Helm service area who have dementia and other types of cognitive decline. It will have trained staff on hand to provide care, lead activities, serve meals and offer support and engagement in a safe environment while caregivers work, run errands or go to appointments.

Siddall said the Wilson Center, a roughly 3,400-square-foot space, has been vacant for about the last three years.

“We were really blessed,” Siddall said. “The partnerships are really important to us. … The space was ideal for us.”

Construction is expected to start within the next month, Siddall said.

Half-day and full-day programs will be offered. The cost per person hadn’t been determined at press time.

“We’re trying to keep the costs down,” Siddall said. “We’re trying to keep the costs reasonable so people can use it.”

Siddall said they anticipate being able to have about 20 participants per day. Activities will be based on the needs and interests of the participants at any given time.

Helm officials visited adult day facilities throughout the state as they worked to develop their program over the last year and a half.

These programs are vital for caregivers. According to a 2024 article from Harvard Health Publishing, the consumer health information division of Harvard Medical School, “Caring for an older adult with health issues can be physically and emotionally taxing. Adult day care is an option for family caregivers who may be struggling with day-to-day caregiving or dealing with anxiety, frustration, depression, or other health problems.”

They’re beneficial for participants as well. The same Harvard Health Publishing article states, “Adult day care can also be integral in providing a safe environment for someone with Alzheimer’s disease or another type of dementia, by offering organized activities in a secure setting.”

A spokesperson for Henry Ford Health could not be reached for comment before press time.

Siddall said they hope to open this spring, possibly May 1. They’ll host a pilot program and focus group for about a month before they open to the general public. An open house is slated to be scheduled once construction is complete.

“We feel it will benefit the community immensely,” Siddall said.

More information will be released by The Helm once an opening date has been established.