The term “adult day care center” doesn’t quite seem to suit Scotland House, which opened on Route 4 in Quechee last November in space previously occupied by retailer Scotland by the Yard.
Sure, that’s technically the nonprofit organization’s classification. But it’s much more than a day care center to the families who bring their loved ones there.
“Until you walk through the door, you don’t know what the Scotland House environment looks like,” said Gretchen Cole, executive director and program manager at Scotland House.
The center, whose building underwent extensive renovations after the retailer left, is open to residents age 60 and older on both sides of the Connecticut River, with 13 people currently attending.
The program costs $17 per hour. Currently, it accepts Vermont Medicaid and private payment, but has the goal of getting accepted by New Hampshire Medicaid as well.
The day I visited, ArtisTree staff members visited to host an art project with the attendants. Thick strips of tape were spread out over white paper that stretched the length of a table where everyone was seated. Cups of paint and brushes were arranged in front of each person.
Sitting at the end of the table, near where a glass door provided a soft natural light, were Terri and John Patterson, of White River Junction. John Patterson started coming to Scotland House in January and attends two days a week.
“They’ve been great,” said Terri Patterson, who is the primary caregiver for her husband, who has Parkinson’s disease.
Like most caregivers, Terri Patterson, 72, had a slight hesitation in enrolling her husband. It can be difficult to let someone else care for a loved one, even if it only is for a handful of hours every week.
“At first he was a little leery about it,” Terri Patterson said as John, 77, held a paintbrush and contributed to the mural. “He looks forward to coming and he’s made new friends.”
Sometimes caring for someone who has a chronic disease like Parkinson’s or various memory loss disorders can be isolating. Stigma adds to that isolation.
“People struggle with making the decision,” Cole said, adding that caregivers may try to push through their burnout. “They feel guilty.”
But they shouldn’t.
“I didn’t realize how much work being a caregiver is,” Terri Patterson said. The staff at Scotland House provides support partly by providing respite care.
“Just for him to get out and be with other people is the right medicine,” she added.
Activities vary from structured classes to reading groups and jigsaw puzzles and, a favorite among many attendees, noodle ball.
“Believe it or not, but it’s really competitive,” Cole said of noodle ball.
Some attendees have different tasks in mind.
“We have people who want to be useful,” Cole said. They wash dishes or water plants, happy to help out.
Although there is a TV in the sitting room to watch movies, “you won’t find us watching TV,” Cole said. “Once the weather changes, we hope to be outside.”
The nonprofit organization started two councils: one for participants to talk about what they want to see at Scotland House and another for caregivers.
“We are more than just a daycare,” Cole said. “We really listen to our participants.”
At one point during the painting activity, two people put down their paintbrushes to dance to hits from the 1950s and ’60s playing from a boombox in the corner. Rita Boynton, an LPN at Scotland House, started dancing with the pair, holding hands, lifting their arms and laughing.
When a new participant enrolls at Scotland House, staffers take a personal history. Whether it’s participants’ opinions on colors, activities, food, music or flowers, “we automatically know what their favorite is,” Cole said.
They try to make activities accessible to everyone, regardless of their abilities. “It’s about making sure everyone is encouraged,” Cole said, “and they’re having a good time.”
Woodstock’s Thompson Center delivers lunch each day, and staff are also equipped to help attendees bathe — the building renovations included installing several showers.
“That can relieve that burden for the caregiver,” Cole explained. “We provide it here so their time at home is more enjoyable.”
So, if not a day care, what is Scotland House? An activity center, a community center, a senior center?
Perhaps the best description is in Scotland House’s name: house. Because to the people in the community, it feels like home.
Sitting with her husband, Terri Patterson considered Scotland Yard’s impact.
“It’s changed his life, I think,” she said. “And mine.”
Editor’s note: Scotland House is hosting open houses from 9 a.m.-noon on March 30 and April 6, and another from 5-7 p.m. on April 9. For more information, visit scotlandhousevt.org or call 802-280-6080. Liz Sauchelli can be reached at esauchelli@vnews.com or 603-727-3221.
