Pappas addresses federal program in Adult Day Center visit
CONWAY — In a visit Thursday to the Mount Washington Valley Adult Day Center in Center Conway, U.S. Rep. Chris Pappas (D-N.H.) learned about a new federal program being piloted there.
The center, which provides day services Monday-Friday for people with dementia and memory loss, was the first stop on the 1st District congressman's visit to the Mount Washington Valley. His district includes most of Carroll County.
Other stops on Pappas' busy agenda included a business roundtable at the Pope Memorial Library in North Conway and a stop at the Tamworth Community Nurse Association in Tamworth.
The federal program is called GUIDE, which stands for Guiding an Improved Dementia Experience.
Asked how Trump administration statements about freezing federal grants will affect funding for the program, Pappas said, "I have a lot of concern, given what we've heard over the last few days about federal funds that come to important organizations in New Hampshire that serve some of our most vulnerable community members."
He continued: "We've been working to get information for people that are federal grantees about whether they can count on those dollars, but it's created a lot of chaos for organizations."
Pappas is a regular visitor to the Mount Washington Valley, meeting with business and non-profit leaders and visiting organizations like the Adult Day Center to learn more about what they do and what their needs are.
"I think these sorts of stories help us provide the kind of defense we need of these dollars," he said. "And the hope is that we're going to find ways to hold the line to defend critical programs that provide for folks here in New Hampshire, including earned benefits like Medicare, Medicaid and Social Security, which, unfortunately, some of my colleagues would like to see changed in drastic ways."
Funded by the U.S. Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services, the program's goals listed on the CMS website are to "improve quality of life for people with dementia, reduce strain on their unpaid caregivers, and enable people with dementia to remain in their homes and communities."
MWV Adult Day Center Director Lynn Coyle said the new program directly aligns with the goals of the center, and would extend the reach and kinds of support the center can provide for people with dementia.
"We're targeting the valley, but beyond to up into Coos County, down into the Lakes Region and into Maine," she said.
People do not have to be guests of the Adult Day Center to take part. The only requirements are that the individual has had a dementia diagnosis and be signed up for Medicare Parts A and B.
"What's really great is it's a comprehensive package," Coyle told Pappas.
She said there are millions of unpaid caregivers throughout the country and often the biggest reason people are admitted to nursing homes is because their caregivers can no longer take care of them.
"A lot of them do it just by strong will and determination," she said. "If we can give them respite and education, they'll be able to keep their loved ones at home longer."
Pappas said allowing people stay in their homes is a win both for their quality of life and for keeping the costs of medical care down across the country.