The Adult Care Center is Here for Your Family

By Jess Clawson

The Adult Care Center (ACC) in Winchester is a nonprofit offering a vibrant day program for adults with conditions affecting memory and independence. It provides support for the families who choose to keep their loved ones at home. 

The ACC serves clients in Winchester, Frederick County, Clarke County, and the surrounding area. It is the only organization in the Northern Shenandoah Valley exclusively dedicated and licensed to provide a day program for adults who need supervision or assistance. The center has formed a strong approach to client engagement, health monitoring, and caregiver support since its establishment in 1993. The ACC aims to keep loved ones in the home and active in the community for as long as possible.

According to Executive Director Jane Bauknecht, the ACC “offers many research-based activities that encourage, engage, and enrich the participant. Effective redirection techniques are used throughout the day as needed.” Age-appropriate activities exercise the mind and body and are both recreational and therapeutic in scope including music therapy, music and spirituality, drum circle, an intergenerational program with children from the Fremont Street Nursery, expressive art, daily exercise including the use of weights and bands, aromatherapy, weekly matinee, and more. These activities “enable persons with conditions affecting memory and independence to be supported through various stages of their disease,” she says.

The ACC is a cost-effective care option for families. “Many households who use the Center are people who have to go to work, but need an affordable place for their loved one to be during the day,” says Bauknecht. “Thus, they drop their loved one off in the morning on their way to their employment, and pick them up when the workday is over.”

Others use the service part-time because “they just need an opportunity to have a few days a week to get chores done, or take a break from the demands of 24-hour care giving,” says Bauknecht. “It is so important to caregivers, who work so hard to take care of their loved ones, also value their own health and take measures to look after themselves.”

The ACC is located in the Snapp Foundry Building on Cameron Street in Winchester. It is open 7:30am to 5:30pm, Monday through Friday. Rates range from $59 to $63 per day depending on frequency of attendance. For that rate, participants receive the services of a registered nurse for needs like medication administration and medical monitoring, certified nursing assistance for assistance with personal care, and an activity program planned and implemented by a board-certified music therapist with 16 years of experience. The Activity Director has a full-time assistant and a part-time assistant; the latter is working on her master’s degree in music therapy.

The ACC is also a Medicaid provider, and has some limited scholarship grants from the Virginia Department on Aging and Rehabilitative Services for those who are not Medicaid eligible but need financial assistance. Bauknecht points out that the ACC has a contract with the Veteran’s Administration. “If funding is available, eligible veterans may be financially supported two days a week at the Center,” she says. Also, because registered nurse services are offered, some people may have coverage through their long-term care insurance.

The staff of the ACC is its greatest asset. “Day in and day out they come wanting to make it special for our participants,” Bauknecht says. Everyone gets involved with the activities, even if those are not necessarily in their job descriptions. “When the [certified nursing assistants] are done with their rounds of personal care, and the drum circle is going on, they are helping to keep rhythm, or assisting someone with their instrument discreetly, thinking about adding range of motion.”

All around, the staff members have a solid work ethic and pitch in to ensure quality of care for patients. “Discreet medical care, top-notch certified nursing care, an activity program that is second to none, and staff that does everything from computer work to kitchen duty to end-of-day clean up, I hold this staff in the highest esteem,” Bauknecht says. “It’s a professional business, but it’s a mission too.”

Since its founding, the ACC has served several hundred participants across the age spectrum and with a variety of diagnoses. The center resulted from a group called the Aging Forum who formed in the late 1980s and identified an unmet need in the community. In 1993, the ACC opened for four hours a week until it got a grant from the Center on Rural Development in 1994. Over time, the ACC grew and expanded, changing locations until it landed on the Our Health campus in Winchester in 2011.

Bauknecht appreciates the hard work of the Board of Directors who have successfully written two grants from the Administration on Aging. “With those grants, the Center contracted with Michael Rohrbacher, former music therapy professor at Shenandoah University, and studied the seven areas of music therapy,” she says. “From this research, a monograph for a college curriculum course was produced.”

“The second grant from the Administration on Aging was to study complementary and alternative therapy modalities for persons with Alzheimer’s disease in an adult day health care setting,” Bauknecht says. “The research project included aroma therapy, horticulture, music therapy, music and spirituality, art therapy, Oshiatsu, and hand massage.

These grants really catapulted the Center in its work with dementia clients,” she says.

The ACC has also received support from many civic groups, businesses, and individuals who have helped to purchase equipment and supplies for the program.

Going forward, Bauknecht wants to “continue to work on our programming and be the best we can be at creating a good environment for persons with memory loss. And of course write more grants to purchase the things we want to make those great activities happen.” She believes in the important work the center does to make a difference for those with memory loss.

Bauknecht makes the values of the center clear, especially approaching their work with compassion and interest. “We are not merely custodians of care; we are here to make a positive impact,” she says. “Over the years we have seen where our activities can help calm someone who is agitated, and can engage someone who might otherwise be isolated and non-communicative. We have seen where specific exercises can help with range of motion and improve gait and stamina.”

Even clients initially resistant to attending adjust and become engaged within a short period of time. “It is an incredible thing to see a group of persons with memory impairment working together to make music in drum circle, or actively participate in music and spirituality, or paint for an hour on a canvas, or laugh with the person sitting next to them,” says Bauknecht.

The staff at the ACC focus on helping people see not the losses that accompany Alzheimer’s disease. “We want to turn that upside down and say ‘look at all that remains,’ and how can we best honor the dignity of the individual as the disease progresses, and be of the most help,” Bauknecht says.

“Our belief really is, and has been all these years, that our participants need and deserve a welcoming community; one that offers fun and interesting things to do as the person ages,” says Bauknecht. “As the Baby Boomers age, so much is written about healthy aging, staying fit mentally and physically, having options available, etc. Persons with memory loss deserve the same – the opportunity to participate in an environment that is supportive, beneficial, and ever-evolving.”

Part of that beneficial environment is art therapy. “Since 2004, expressive art has been an integral part of ACC’s activity program,” says Activity Director Tara Lescalleet. This program is grant-funded through the Administration of Aging. “As a society we sometimes struggle with age appropriateness, knowing individuals suffering from [Alzheimer’s disease] or other neurological diseases are limited in their cognitive abilities,” she says. “Moving forward in the person-centered realm of thinking, we shift our focus to find ‘abilities’ within ‘disabilities’ by utilizing their preserved strengths to maximize optimum potential.”

Expressive art has become a “go-to activity,” Lescalleet says. It occurs three times a week for about 45 minutes, and clients regularly ask to paint.

People with Alzheimer’s have increasingly limited opportunities to make decisions for themselves as their disease progresses. Art gives people opportunities to make decisions, such as brush size, paint selection, and use of other materials. Some projects are collaborative, allowing individuals to highlight their skill sets without becoming frustrated or overwhelmed.

An art appreciation activity takes place after the session ends. “This allows participants to give each artist recognition and praise for his or her accomplishments,” Lescalleet says. Participants describe the images, discuss what they like or do not like, and name the pieces. “Evoking creativity and emotion take on a new dimension when participants have that kind of recall in the ‘here and now’ moment along with a sense of self-validation.”

The art program is also beneficial for families. “Knowing that their loved one is not emotionally trapped by this disease and they are able to enhance their quality of life in other facets” is “a sentimental gift to the family holding on to that healthy aspect of their loved one’s life,” Lescalleet says.

The ACC’s Art on the Brain program, which holds exhibits all around the Winchester area, comes from their art therapy. “This particular event showcases the center’s artwork by individuals with dementia and also builds a sense of community awareness,” according to Lescalleet.

Music also gives clients a multi-sensory experience that evokes both cognitive and physical responses. The music therapy program addresses everyday skills like communication, cognition, socialization, motor skills, and emotions. Lescalleet says the purpose of the music therapy program at the ACC is to “redirect behavior (such as anxiety and agitation), restore communication (verbal and nonverbal), maintain cognitive and physical abilities, prevent falls, and overall enhance one’s quality of life. Shifting focus from limitation to potential is the obtainable goal in mind.”

Music also invites participation in a way each individual is comfortable with. Many people with dementia become socially isolated because of their cognitive limitations. “Incorporating familiar age-appropriate tunes, visual, instruments, and movements using various supplemental materials, encourage the potential for positive outcomes,” says Lescalleet.

One-on-one music therapy sessions are now being offered to suit the individuals’ goals, and personal music playlists are being developed for each participant. “Our intention is to capture meaningful memories, which in turn facilitate a reflection of each individual’s life,” Lescalleet says.

The ACC is a one-of-a-kind experience in the Northern Shenandoah Valley for adults who need assistance and their families. The thoughtful programs ensure that clients are continually engaged with the staff and each other, and have opportunities for expression and socialization. Their appreciation for the life experiences of people who are commonly viewed with a deficit perspective ensures that people with dementia are treated with dignity and respect.

Anthony Roper Appointed to Governor’s Administration

By Jess Clawson

Clarke County Sheriff Anthony “Tony” Roper is getting statewide attention for his dedication to Clarke County. On March 18, Governor Terry McAuliffe announced the new appointments to his administration, including asking Roper to serve on the Criminal Justice Services Board. The appointees, including Roper, will help the governor find common ground with members of both parties on issues that will build a new Virginia economy and create jobs.

The 28-member board, comprised of members of the criminal justice system, local government officials, representatives of the private security industry, the public at large, and General Assembly members, provides governance and guidance to the Department of Criminal Justice Services. According to the General Assembly, the CJS Board is responsible for “planning and coordinating the implementation and administration of criminal justice and delinquency prevention and control throughout the Commonwealth.” Board terms are two years.

Roper is happy to have been appointed to the board. “I have worked diligently in certain aspects of areas covered by the board, and I have ideas I would like to see considered,” he says. “Maybe my interest caught the Governor’s attention.”

Roper was born and raised in Clarke County. He entered law enforcement in 1978 and was elected Sheriff of Clarke County in 2003. His experience in the sheriff’s office has changed as he gained life experience. “I joined the sheriff’s office right out of high school looking for excitement and adventures,” he says. “I grew up watching cop shows on television and thought that was the career for me. And for many years, it was all about the running and gunning of catching the bad guys. I identified with capturing them and putting them away.”

Over time, however, that led him to examine the profession and what those invested in it were and are accomplishing. His work with drug enforcement in particular led him to think specifically about the use of law enforcement in dealing with the problem. “We seemed to be arresting addicts repeatedly for the same type of offenses, with no one leaving prison habilitated. While the addicts themselves need to take some ownership, I believe that we can’t do the same things over and over again and expect different results,” he says. Roper has taken this commitment to reevaluation seriously. He served as a founding member of the Northwest Virginia Regional Drug Task Force and was a member of the regional FBI Drugs and Violent Crime Task Force.

Additionally, he realized the importance of evaluation of practice in the office. For instance, he questioned whether the department was making the best use of technology. The office now uses video conferencing for some court appearances that do not necessarily require the inmate to appear personally. “This allows us to keep incarcerated folks behind bars, and we do not have to transport them from the jail,” Roper says. “The community stays safer, and we make a better use of our limited manpower resources.” In general, he sees the profession as one that “can be complacent and do things because we always did them that way,” but he believes “we must challenge everything.”

He decided to run for sheriff initially because he saw some things he believed he could change for the better, and wanted to leave his mark on the county. At the time he ran, he says he had a group of loyal followers in the department who were doing a great job, and he wanted to ensure that the new sheriff took care of those folks as well.

Roper gained the employees’ loyalty in part because he kept them on board. Sheriff’s employees serve at the will of the sheriff, so he could have “cleaned house,” as he says, when elected. But he wanted his employees to feel secure in their future. “I believe their loyalty is inspired by a great working environment here,” he says. “We cannot compete with some salaries offered, particularly with larger, more metropolitan offices to the east. But we do offer a chance to make a real difference here.”

Roper has been widely recognized as a valuable community member. He has been asked to serve on a great many boards, including the board of the Northwest Regional Adult Detention Center, serving as the Past President of the Virginia Sheriff’s Association and the Rappahannock Regional Criminal Justice Academy, and joining several committees guiding the Virginia Sheriff’s Association and the Rappahannock Regional Criminal Justice Academy.

The office itself has been exceptional, achieving reaccreditation from the Virginia Law Enforcement Professional Commission in 2015 with a perfect score. This reflects many hours of assessment of their operations. Deputies have received a substantial increase in training hours, and the office plans to maintain that aggressive training schedule in 2016.

Roper can also point to many tangible achievements he is proud of, including “new facilities, the creation of a rank structure, and the adoption of standard operating procedures.”

These accomplishments, however, are not as important to Roper as the fundamental idea of responsibility to community safety. “Every decision we make in the Sheriff’s Office is made with our mission in mind,” he says. The mission of the Clarke County Sheriff’s Office is “to provide a safe community through customer service-based policing. We achieve this mission through professionalism, respect, and ethical service.”

“This outlook,” Roper says, “keeps us focused as we make decisions ranging from how we handle the dispatching of a fire, handling a mentally ill subject, or deciding how much money we need to ask for in purchasing equipment.” Roper has a reputation for serving the community well, which he believes is his mission. “I truly believe we are sworn to do a job,” he says. “And that calling to help people is a noble one, one that we are lucky to answer.”

Along these lines, Roper describes the most rewarding element of his job as “encompassed by all the services we are given the opportunity to deliver. When we issue a speeding ticket to someone, I truly believe we are taking steps to save a life.”

“The same goes for every time we answer a call for any service,” he says. “We are the protectors, and proud to serve as such.”

The office is offering community service in the form of online safety presentations geared towards protecting children online. According to the office site, presentations are available for a variety of age groups, including parents, teens, tweens, and small children. These one-hour presentations give statistics, online resources, videos, and expert tips to engage, educate, and empower children and adults to be safer on- and off-line.

The office has changed dramatically in recent years, in that many calls for service involve quality of life issues and neighbor disputes. “Not long ago I never would have dreamed that Clarke deputies would be answering calls of ‘my neighbor’s trash can is blowing on my property’ or ‘my neighbor’s sign is detracting from my property value,’ but we do now,” says Roper. He believes this comes from the expectation of service from the community. “We do our best to answer the call,” he says. The mission has broadened: “Our office handles calls ranging from shots fired to a dog running at large.”

He also sees his role to the citizens in Clarke County and the Commonwealth at large as important because “these are the people that establish the standards that we in law enforcement are held to.”

This leads him to the changes he would like to see while he is in office—closely examining the training standards. “In the climate we are working in today, we need to provide the brave men and women in the field with all of the tools we can,” he says. “I hope to afford this type of change.”

Specifically, he wants to examine the curriculum to ensure its continued relevance. For instance, use of force training “reflects ideas that are not based on science,” Roper says. “I want our people to be confident that we are sending them into the field with the best tools, not with a fear that they are ‘out manned.’” As such, Roper believes the office requires more training, which he thinks is too readily trimmed from the budget. “This is a very short sighted approach,” he says. “This time spent is an investment that we must make.”

Roper’s stance on taking the community’s needs seriously has earned him a local and statewide reputation for excellence. His appointment to the governor’s administration is one example of this recognition, but so is his success in re-election every term, and the general public’s appreciation of his service.

As we enter the final throws of the Presidential primary season, one in which televised debates and commercials lost the G-rating for family viewing long ago, we can’t help but observe how the breakdown in manners and civility now permeates public life and, sadly, sometimes interactions among neighbors that often take place entirely in the online world.

Politics always has been a rough-and-tumble pugilistic affair — without the minimal padding of gloves designed to protect the puncher’s hand, not the jaw on the receiving end. But over the last several years, being rude or snide has become not only acceptable, but something to be cheered.

Is this really what we want to teach our children? That when we disagree, our first impulse is to insult or accuse? Is this how we want to send them off into the world? It’s certainly not the world we inherited from our parents. And as a practical matter, can anyone claim to have persuaded another person on any issue by calling them names?

In these times, many of us are drawn to people who exemplify civility, civic curiosity, and a genuine love of neighbor — as the faithful are called to embrace. Val Van Meter was such a person. If the pen is, indeed, more powerful than the sword, it’s not just because it’s an instrument for argument. Rather, it’s a means to uplift us all, to remind us of the strength of community and the good that comes from practicing mutual respect.

Whether she was telling the story of a local family or reporting on the dry proceedings of government bodies, she was able to remind us that behind every event and every political controversy there were human beings with hopes and dreams and backgrounds. And she treated them all with respect.

Thinking of Val you can’t help but remember George Baily, the character portrayed by Jimmy Stewart in the classic film It’s a Wonderful Life. In the story, Baily’s guardian angel grants his wish to see what life would have been like had he never been born. He sees how many lives each of us can touch and influence. In this light, it’s hard to imagine Clarke County without the life of Val. And based on the remembrances compiled by Maral Kalbian, published on page 9 of this edition, it’s easy to see how lives and this community are fuller today because of her.

If we’re looking for people to emulate, people who serve a public role in community life, let’s not look to the angry, fear-mongers of politics flinging pseudo-facts and disinformation. We could do so much better for children, ourselves, and our community by taking Val Van Meter’s example of how to encourage conversation and celebrate all that’s wondrous about community life.