Adult Day Program
For Adults with Daily Challenges
Winslow’s Adult Day Program empowers individuals with disabilities age 21 and older, to gain independence and confidence in their daily lives through a multi-dimensional learning approach. Participants spend the day in different environments and participating in various activities that will provide an array of benefits to their lives.
Winslow’s Adult Day Program offers a place for participants to come and experience a variety of activities each weekday at our facility that will enhance their quality of life and provide them a therapeutic outlet. Through equine- and animal-assisted services such as learning unmounted horsemanship skills and caring for our goats and chickens, participants learn about the importance of building a bond with their animals which helps to build sequencing skills, learn to care for others, and development of verbal and non-verbal skills. Daily participation also includes activities that encourage a healthy lifestyle including cooking classes, gardening, arts and crafts, as well as light exercise, meditation, and journaling. Contact Rebecca at (845) 986-6686 or email her at rebecca@winslow.org for more information regarding this program. Enrollment is open year-round!
Group Activities
- EQUINE-ASSISTED SERVICES
The horse and human relationship can act as a metaphor for the way that people interact with each other. For individuals with challenges, this relationship can result in building teamwork, responsibility, and communication skills. Participants will learn horsemanship skills such as how to ride and care for a horse in a group setting. These skills can have a multitude of benefits physically, cognitively, emotionally, socially, and remedially.
- FARM TO TABLE
Winslow’s garden provides the opportunity for participants to learn about horticulture through hands-on experience planting, nurturing, and harvesting. Participants use the plants to learn about healthy eating and prepare meals for the group. In the chicken coop, they collect eggs each morning and package them for the public in exchange for a donation to the program.
- FINE ARTS AND CRAFTS
Creative arts enables participants to express themselves, their passions, and their generosity, as well as develop fine and gross motor skills.
- SMALL ANIMAL HUSBANDRY
Our farm encourages responsibility for the care of small animals such as goats and chickens. Participants will learn empathetic animal handling techniques as they care for them in a variety ways including feeding, bringing hay and water, cleaning out their living areas, and grooming them.
- MUSIC THERAPY
Music speaks to the heart and the soul. Our music sessions offer participants the opportunity to play instruments, sing, listen, and express themselves creatively.
- MIND-BODY CONNECTION
Physical exercise, while helping tone and strengthen ones body, can also have pronounced long-term anti-depressant effects, improve sleep habits, and elevate mood. Participants in our program are encouraged to enjoy hikes around our property and along the Appalachian trail, chair yoga, mindfulness breathing, and much more.
- OTHER ACTIVITIES
Participants will engage in additional special activities from time-to-time such as field trips to various locations, helping decorate for special events, doing good for others with charitable projects (see ‘Project Linus’ on the back of the brochure), raising funds for group activities, and much more. All activities encourage a sense of a community.
Benefits of the Adult Day Program
- Daily living skills
- Focus and attention skills
- Balance, coordination, and muscle tone
- Improved social and communication skills
- Motor skills
- Self-confidence and friendship-building
- Patience, empathy, and sympathy
- Emotional control and self-discipline
- Sequencing and patterning
- Hand-eye coordination
- Connection with nature and animals
- Perceptual skills
- Sense of “doing good” for others
‘Doing Good’ – Project Linus
‘Project Linus’ is a nationwide project whose mission is to provide blankets to children between the ages of 0-18 who are seriously ill, traumatized, or are otherwise in need of some sense of love, security, warmth and comfort. The blankets are distributed to organizations such as hospitals, social service agencies, safe homes and others who work directly with children. They are made of various materials and must be handmade, washable, have kid-friendly designs and colors, and be no larger than 36”x36”.
When Winslow staff found out about this project, we believed that it would be a rewarding experience for our Adult Day Program participants to become “blanketeers”. They made simple, tie-off, fleece blankets which helped develop their motor skills, worked on patterning and sequencing, teamwork, task completion, and many other life skills. It also gave them the opportunity to give back to others, take pride in their work, and be a part of a larger community.
All of us at Winslow and CLC are so moved by their selflessness and commitment to helping others!