“We don’t let people sit around and watch TV all day long,” said Debbie Hartsell, owner of Loving Arms Adult Day Care. “This isn’t a nursing home, and we don’t ever want to be one!”
Loving Arms Adult Day Care is a Christian-based adult daycare in Martin City that specializes in caring for retired Veterans while their families and caregivers are at work, running errands, or just need a break. We recently visited the daycare center and Hartsell wasn’t kidding when she said they don’t operate like a nursing home. We walked right into a full-blown Karaoke party! Hartsell said Karaoke is just one of the fun experiences clients have at Loving Arms every day.
“I saw so many senior citizens in the nursing home where I previously worked who didn’t need to be there yet,” Hartsell said. She’s been a nurse since 1989 and has worked extensively with Alzheimer’s, dialysis, psychiatric, and long-term care patients over the course of her career. In 2010, Hartsell took a leap of faith and opened Loving Arms Adult Day Care in Martin City to offer families an alternative to traditional nursing home care.
“Many people have to go into nursing homes because it’s unsafe for their families to leave them alone during the day,” said Hartsell. “Our goal is to give them a few more quality years at home with their families instead of going straight into a nursing home.”
Nine skilled employees have been trained to meet a variety of medical, mental, and physical needs. They are also the organizers behind the fabulous food cooked on-site every day! They create all the games, organize live musical performances, and assist with computer instruction, group exercises, and a variety of other stimulating activities. Clients look forward to whatever they have in store for them each day.
A singing cowboy, magicians, clowns, and even a belly dancer are regular entertainers at Loving Arms. “The belly dancer is quite popular here with the men,” Hartsell laughs! “Elvis is very popular too!”
Every day, Loving Arms picks up clients from all over the Kansas City area by van or bus, and brings them to Loving Arms for morning coffee and conversation at “Coffee Club” until everyone arrives. “We are all incredibly close here and every morning, we look forward to catching up on each other’s lives,” said Hartsell.
At least 75% of clients at Loving Arms are military veterans. Loving Arms is the largest VA-approved adult daycare in Kansas City and partners with Kansas City’s Department of Veterans Affairs to assist veterans with a variety of daily living challenges. Adult Day Health Care is part of the VHA Standard Medical Benefits Package and all enrolled Veterans are eligible for financial assistance to cover daycare expenses if they meet the clinical need.
“Our center provides a safe and active environment with constant supervision so veterans can get out of the house and participate in life again,” said Hartsell. “It’s vital support for both the client and their families who don’t always know where to turn.”
A few of Loving Arms’ core services include:
- Medication, blood pressure, and glucose monitoring
- Nutritional home-cooked meals with doctor-ordered diets as needed
- Scheduled daily activities including live entertainment each week
- Computer center with guided assistance
- Emotional and physical support with daily tasks
All staff members are Alzheimer’s certified and Parkinson’s trained and they have two nurses and three CNA’s on staff.
“They don’t always remember our names, but they always have a big smile on their face when they come through our door so we know they enjoy being here, and it’s fulfilling to know we can ease the burden for families who‘ve often unexpectedly taken over the role of caretaking.”
We’re so thankful for people like Debbie Hartsell and her caring staff at Loving Arms Adult Day Care and are proud to have a company that cares so deeply about the needs of our growing special needs adult population in Martin City.
To learn more about Loving Arms Adult Day Care may be able to help you care for a loved one, please visit their website.
