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COVID-19

Adult day programs struggle with coronavirus concerns

Posted 12/5/20

Adult day programs are one of those industries that continue to worry about maintaining a healthy environment in the wake of the coronavirus pandemeic.

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COVID-19

Adult day programs struggle with coronavirus concerns

Posted

Adult day programs are one of those industries that continue to worry about maintaining a healthy environment in the wake of the coronavirus pandemeic.

The programs aim to help adults with special needs by providing activities to help improve social and life skills.

Almost 1,200 adults who attend these day programs have tested positive for the virus, according to the Arizona Health Information Exchange and incident reports from providers.

About 600 adults caught COVID-19 from their own homes and more than 500 adults contracted the virus from the day program facilities.  

This statistic shows day programs may have contributed to COVID's spread in Arizona.

Many programs have searched for solutions to keep COVID-19 out of their facilities, including the Blue Mountain Developmental Program in Surprise.

Blue Mountain has a child and an adult section that does a variety of activities for people with special needs.    

Prior to the pandemic, members participated in “community outings” and on-campus tasks like “cooking activities, dancing, and group games,” according to Terry Muetzenberg, chief operations officer of Blue Mountain's adult program.

Since the pandemic began, there have been several challenges the program faced. Minor issues include dwindling numbers in attendance.

“We are slowly getting all of our members back into the program,” Ms. Muetzenberg said.

Adult programs are concerned about losing clients because of the virus. A portion of families do not want to take any chances, therefore keeping their adult away from groups.

Blue Mountain’s biggest challenge is to maintain the coronavirus guidelines in the building.

“We are contracted with the state of Arizona and implemented all required protocols required for programming,” Ms. Muetzenberg said.


The protocols involve disinfecting all vans after each use, washing hands and furniture every hour, temperature checks twice a day, and deep cleaning the building at the end of each day.

Despite the constant cleaning, there were times where the program had coronavirus scares. Over the summer, Blue Mountain had to temporarily close because of COVID-19 concerns.

“Our summer program for kids shut down twice for two weeks. For safety precautions, we closed the adult program for a few days to do additional deep cleaning.”

The programs know people with disabilities need consistency and are trying their best to keep their businesses open.

Although many adult day programs have initiated new protocols, some families are still skeptical of sending their adult to these programs.

Lisa Johnson is one of those parents. Her daughter Allison has autism and is non-verbal. Her daughter attends another adult day program in the area.

“I sent my daughter to a day program for several reasons. It is a change of scenery and it is a great way to get her to socialize,” Johnson said.

Adult day programs are one of the few places where the disabled can socialize with others like them.

When the adults do not attend the program, they lose out on the chance to improve their social skills.

“I took Allison out because she has a compromised immune system. I don’t know if she fully understands why we have to wear a mask. I don’t want to risk her health,” Johnson said.

Family members want to make sure that their loved ones are safe, especially those who are vulnerable to the virus.

Despite the options, families who send their adults to these programs are split. 

Editor's Note: Cassidy Johnston is a student at the Walter Cronkite School of Journalism and Mass Communication at Arizona State University.