HIGH POINT — Finding a trustworthy facility to care for aging loved ones during the workday can be a struggle for many caregivers. Pennybyrn is making that process easier with the Oct. 6 opening of the Melvin & Ruth Witcher Adult Day Center.
The center will offer a safe, caring and socially stimulating environment on the retirement community’s 71-acre campus where older adults can participate in activities that include art, music, exercise, games, spiritual renewal and holiday celebrations. Caregivers will receive educational resources and the peace of mind that comes from knowing loved ones will receive a high level of care while they go to work or attend to other responsibilities.
"I feel fortunate to have found a program for my mom associated with a facility that has a reputation as high as that of Pennybyrn,” said Ginger Moore, who has enrolled her mother in the center. “The program's design – being structured, stimulating and monitored – gives me peace of mind knowing my mom will be well cared for while I am away. I see this program as a time for her to socialize and engage with her peers when she otherwise would not have had an opportunity to do so."
Pennybyrn’s Vice President Vonda Hollingsworth said the Adult Day Program continues the legacy of serving the community nurtured by the Sisters of the Poor Servants of the Mother of God, who founded Pennybyrn nearly 78 years ago.
“Participants (will) find purpose, joy and connection – whether through engaging activities, laughter with friends, or simply being part of a caring community,” Hollingsworth said. “For caregivers, it provides the peace of mind and rest they need, knowing their loved one is safe and fulfilled. In every way, this program reflects our mission to show God’s love to all the lives we touch, helping each person have the best day possible, every day.”
The center is an expansion of Pennybyrn’s mission and an opportunity to serve older adults and their families in the local community. It was made possible through a $1 millon gift from the
Douglas S. Witcher Family Foundation in honor of his parents, Melvin and Ruth, and additional donations to the “Beyond the Horizon” capital campaign. The campaign funded healthcare center and assisted living area renovations, the building of the Lillian Congdon Transitional Rehab Center, and the addition of the Adult Day Center in a redesigned space previously occupied by the physical therapy center.
“This center is a beautiful expression of love, family and generosity,” said Pennybyrn’s CEO Rich Newman. “We are honored to open our doors to the community and look forward to serving older adults and their families in a meaningful way.”
— Trish Stukbauer
