A Village United in Caring

It’s been said it takes a village to raise a child. The same can be said of caring for those with dementia and Alzheimer’s disease. Milton Village, located in Roseland, was created to do just that. It’s the result of a collaboration between Milton Adult Day Services and Alzheimer’s & Dementia Services of Northern Indiana, which provides services for those with Alzheimer’s or dementia and support for their caregivers. This REAL Services Inc.program is dedicated to family support, education, advocacy and raising community awareness.
 
Milton Adult Day Services is a Center for Hospice Care program created to provide a safe, caring and compassionate environment for people needing assistance during the day. Having the ability to choose which activities are most meaningful to them allows guests to flourish. 

Milton Village was created in cooperation with the Netherlands-based Vivium Group, a nursing home management team whose objective was to create a small-scale living environment for people with dementia. The result is an enclosed complex that fully recreates a Dutch village, complete with a theater, supermarket and other amenities. The village gives guests more regulated independence and less institutional-style programming. Called “de Hogeweyk,” it’s based on seven pillars: favorable surroundings, lifestyle, health, life’s pleasures and the meaning of life, formal and informal networks, organization, and social inclusion and emancipation. It is a revolutionary concept in care, and Milton Village is the first to use this model of care in the United States.

With assistance from the Vivium Group, Center for Hospice Care and REAL Services adapted this concept for use in a daycare setting. There is a pub where guests can watch sporting event re-runs, a garden area, a putting green, a barber shop/salon and a kitchen area that hosts the baking club. There’s even a garage with an old Studebaker on loan from the Studebaker Museum for those who enjoy tinkering with cars. 

While their loved ones enjoy Milton Adult Day Services’ amenities, caregivers can tap into the numerous resources available from Alzheimer’s & Dementia Services of Northern Indiana. These include a monthly education series, lunch-and-learns, coffee chats, a caregiver lending library and more. 

Milton Adult Day Services offers flexible scheduling for caregivers. The facility is open from 7:30 am to 5 pm Monday through Friday, and guests need only attend two days a week – although they are welcome as many days the family needs. Five hours of care is available for $75, which includes meals and snacks. The staff prepares a care plan for each guest, which may include monitoring vitals and health conditions and administering medications. Some insurance plans will help pay for these services.

Caregiver support from Alzheimer’s & Dementia Services of Northern Indiana is available at no charge.