Easterseals Southern California said ‘goodbye’ to spring and ‘hello’ to summer with a wave of exciting events and activities! Take a look at some of the recent happenings across Easterseals and beyond.

Easterseals Participants and Staff Rally for Disability Funding

A group of staff and participants gathered outside of the Van Nuys State Building.

On May 31, Easterseals was proud to rally in Van Nuys, CA alongside fellow advocates from throughout Southern California to remind California Governor Gavin Newsom of his promise to fund essential disability programming. The group gathered at the Van Nuys State Building with Easterseals associates and participants from our Adult Day Services sites in Glendale, Pacoima, and Van Nuys. Together, they stood strong against the proposed $1 billion budget cuts that threaten the disability community. Join us in this effort and make your voices heard by sending an email to legislative leaders today.

Autism Services Celebrates Grand Opening of New Covina Therapy Center

Easterseals employees gathered with community leaders who showed their support and joined us in celebrating this significant milestone with a ribbon cutting.

On Saturday, June 1, Easterseals Southern California celebrated the Grand Opening of our New Autism Therapy Center in Covina, CA. During the event, attendees enjoyed exciting booths, fun games, prizes, and delicious food and drinks. Our partners at Mattel were also in attendance to donate toys to children as part of their “Play it Forward” initiative. We are deeply grateful to the volunteers and community leaders who showed their support and joined us in celebrating this significant milestone.

Easterseals at the Social Innovation Summit

From left to right, Andraea LaVant of LaVant Consulting, Vijay Ravindran of Floreo, Debbie Wishart of T-Mobile, and Nancy Weintraub of Easterseals SoCal

Easterseals Southern California was honored to contribute to a lively panel discussion during the Social Innovation Summit in early June. Chief Advancement Officer Nancy Weintraub and Easterseals consultant Andraea LaVant of LaVant Consulting sat on a panel titled “Innovative Tech for Building Inclusive Communities” along with our partners at T-Mobile and Floreo. It was an incredible time of growth, learning and building new partnerships in the disability community and beyond!

Rexford Industrial Volunteers at Easterseals Adult Day Services in Brea

A group of volunteers and participants gathered for a photo at Easterseals Adult & Senior Day Services location in Brea, CA.

On June 5^th, Rexford Industrial and their dedicated volunteers, joined by Interface and Delco Sales, transformed Easterseals Adult & Senior Day Services Center in Brea, CA. The day was filled with gardening, building wheelchair-accessible garden boxes, artistic endeavors, refreshing popsicles, and many fun games. Thank you to all the volunteers for bringing joy and making a lasting impact.

Tribeca Film Festival Panel & Cocktail Reception

From left to right, panelists Emily Ladau, Sofiya Cheyenne, Rachel Handler, and Ryan J. Haddad.

Easterseals was proud to be a sponsor at this year’s Tribeca Film Festival. On June 8th, we hosted a panel discussion titled “Big Wins and Benefits for Disability Inclusion and Workplace Culture” with panelists Rachel Handler, Ryan J. Haddad, Emily Ladau, and Sofiya Cheyenne. Each panelist shared insights on creating an inclusive film set experience, best practices for accessibility, and fostering a more inclusive workplace culture. This panel was followed by the Industry Cocktail Reception, which was co-hosted with Indeed.

Here at Easterseals Southern California, we are excited to expand our social media family by joining the TikTok universe. With the continued growth and expansion of our organization, it’s important we reach a broader audience across multiple platforms and channels.

Joining TikTok allows us to share engaging, inspiring, and educational content with a wider community. We’ll be posting a variety of content, including stories of empowerment, behind-the-scenes looks at our events, tips on creating inclusive environments, and much more.

This initiative aligns with our mission of  leading the way to full equity, inclusion and access by sharing content that aims to change minds and inspire action. By reaching more people, we can amplify our message and impact even further.

We invite you to follow us on our TikTok and be sure to like, comment, and share. Thank you so much for your support and enthusiasm as we embark on this exciting TikTok journey. Let’s make it amazing together!

@eastersealssocal

Here’s a look at our Tik Tok content:

@eastersealssocal “You have a voice. Use your voice. Because if you don’t use your voice, who’s going to hear you?” – Betty, Easterseals advocate #DisabilityRights #SpeakUp #EastersealsSoCal #OurVoicesMatter ♬ original sound – EastersealsSoCal

Easterseals Southern California has had a busy start to 2024! In our latest ESSC News segment, hosts Marquis McCraw, Vice President of Talent Acquisition, and Mona Ramirez, Adult Day Services Coordinator, cover topics ranging from Easterseals financial updates and the opening of new centers, to participant success stories and new initiatives.

Take a look at what’s going on at Easterseals Southern California as we continue to lead the way to full equity, inclusion and access through disability and community services.

In recognition of Older Americans Month this May, we sat down with Kathleen Kolenda, Easterseals Vice President of Adult Day Services, who shares how Easterseals Senior Day Services is positively transforming the cognitive, emotional and physical well-being of the older adults we serve. Kathleen demonstrates how the theme for this year’s Older Americans Month, “Powered by Connection,” aligns closely with our goals and outcomes.

What are Senior Day Services?

As seniors age and begin to need more support during the day, many family caregivers turn to Senior Day Services as an affordable and more engaging alternative to assisted living, memory care, or home care.

At Easterseals Southern California, our Senior Day Services (SDS) program takes place in community center settings in Brea, CA and Redondo Beach, CA. Here, seniors gather during the day for socialization, friendship, meaningful activities, exercise, community outings, entertainment, meals, and extra support or supervision.

Many caregivers choose SDS because it is affordable, provides their parent or loved one with socialization and belonging, and offers a time of respite (a short-term break) for the caregiver.

How do Senior Day Services foster connections?

The power of connection is evident each day with seniors attending to be with their friends and enjoy each other’s company. Seniors are specific about why they attend senior day services, and overwhelmingly it is because they want to be with their friends.

We know many seniors face loneliness and isolation regardless of where and with whom they live. Senior Day Services are a remedy to loneliness and isolation.

Who should attend Senior Day Services?

Easterseals SDS are designed for individuals who are 60 years of age or older with memory loss or physical disabilities. Individuals using this service may require support and assistance with personal care or other daily living activities.

What are the benefits of Senior Day Services?

While there are many benefits of SDS, the most notable are socialization and a sense of belonging.

The socialization is priceless for stabilizing the senior and engaging them in positive experiences while combatting loneliness and isolation. Simply getting ready for the day and getting out of the house reinforces engagement.

Some of the other benefits are that it creates routine, structure and the opportunity to focus on an individual’s strengths. Activities are offered and developed in a person-centered way so that individuals can experience success and be motivated to improve and expand their experiences.

How do Senior Day Services benefit caregivers?    

Most of the seniors who use SDS live with their family members. The family members, or caregivers, may be adult children or spouses who are employed and need the support of SDS so they can continue to keep their work commitments. There are also family caregivers who use SDS part-time to get respite from their caregiving duties.

Senior Day Services also makes it possible for older adults to live in their homes as long as possible, as opposed to moving to an assisted living location or memory care, which can be an incredibly expensive burden for families. With the support of SDS, families can avoid or delay institutional placement and honor their loved ones wishes to stay at home.

What Services Are Offered at Easterseals? 

• Social interaction
• Recreational activities
• Refresh! Exercise programs
• Arts & crafts
• Reminisce groups
• Senior topics
• Pet therapy
• Musical entertainers
• Senior wellness
• Intergenerational programming

What is the Intergenerational Program?

Intergenerational services officially launched at our Brea, CA location in February 2024. Preschoolers from the on-site neighboring day care join the seniors for structured activities throughout the day. The seniors and preschoolers get together for a morning walk each day, and other activities might include crafts, baking or dancing. All of these opportunities enrich the experiences for the seniors and provide unique learning opportunities for the children.

What are the positive outcomes for seniors?

Reportedly, seniors experience increased longevity and some stabilization of debilitating health conditions, both cognitive and physical. Overall, the psychological benefits of engagement and connection outweigh the physical and cognitive challenges the senior experiences. Families also report renewed sense of purpose that fuels their loved one’s interest in attending SDS.

Additionally, the Refresh Life Re-Energized evidence-based exercise curriculum has afforded seniors increased strength, balance, dexterity, range of motion and confidence in physical activity (according to data reported to CVS, who sponsored this curriculum development).

Is Easterseals Senior Day Services Enrolling?

Yes! Both of our Senior Day Services locations in Redondo Beach, CA and Brea, CA are actively enrolling new seniors into our program. To learn more about the program to see if it’s a good fit for you or your loved one, visit our website.

What are people saying about Easterseals Senior Day Program?

We asked several Senior Day Services participants what they think about the program and how it has impacted their life.  

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Visit our website to learn more about Easterseals Senior Day Services program and to see if it is the right fit for you or a loved one.