Business Profile: Gold Star Adult Day Care, Peekskill
Nancy Bischoff, executive director of Gold Star Adult Day Care in Peekskill, said older adults need a place to go during the week to get them out of the house and involved with others.
Bischoff, who lives in Putnam Valley, has been helping seniors since Gold Star opened on August 15.
A series of open houses are being held at Gold Star, which provides day care services for adults 55 and older. “Some people are home by themselves with no socialization, so this is a social day care where they can actually come from their homes and socialize instead of sitting and watching television all day,” Bischoff said. “We don’t want anybody isolated. Isolated seniors get depressed and that’s how they get sick.”
Gold Star provided social activities for older adults and some rest for caregivers, Bischoff said. “It’s their time to get a little time to themselves,” she said.
Gold Star is open weekdays. “That could change in the future, depending on how the program develops, depending on what everybody needs,” she said.
Bischoff said Peekskill was chosen for Gold Star because “there are a lot of seniors in Peekskill. There’s senior housing on Main Street, South Street, all over the place. So it’s very, very convenient for the seniors.” A van picks up seniors at their homes, she noted.
Gold Star offers several features for seniors, including a quiet room, a personal care room where manicures and haircuts are provided; a game room, crafts, parties and a billiards table. “There’s always something going on,” Bischoff said. Continental breakfast and lunch is provided for the older adults.
Though Gold Star has been open for only a few weeks, it is already developing a good reputation, Bischoff said. “The reaction’s great actually,” she said. “We’ve been lucky, with 80 seniors come through (to view the facility).”
The seniors who have come to Gold Star have been mainly from Peekskill, Yorktown and Cortlandt, Bischoff said.
Many local social workers have also praised Gold Star. “We try to treat them like we would treat our own family,” Bischoff said. “I think the key is keeping them active and engaged and being nice and being happy and always being upbeat and just being their friend. What this does is prevent people from going into nursing homes.”
Bischoff, who is a nurse by trade, oversees a staff of five. “I went into this because I got into administration, but I was missing the patient touch and interacting with the patient,” she said. “I have a great opportunity to be with the patients and watch them to make sure they’re well.”
“I can also market the place as well. So it’s kind of the best of both worlds,” Bischoff added.
Bischoff said her goal was “to make everybody as happy as possible.”
Gold Star Adult Day Care is located at 1 Park Place in Peekskill. For more information, call 914-393-6337.
