The YWCA of La Crosse has been chosen as the care provider in a unique plan by La Crosse County to provide intergenerational day care for children and adults with dementia.
The plan is part of a nearly $20 million expansion and remodeling of a county-owned nursing home.
“There’s a child care crisis in our area. We don’t have enough child care availability to meet the needs of our community,” said YWCA La Crosse Executive Director Rosanne Northwood. “To participate in this intergenerational care center will help us to offer a diversified setting that will align with what some families are looking for for care.”
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The concept will also provide respite for caregivers, family, friends and neighbors who are taking care of adults with mild to moderate dementia.
“Maybe there’s an older adult who doesn’t have a younger child in their life and vice versa,” said Carissa Pagel-Smith, manager of La Crosse County’s Aging and Disability Resource Center, or ARDC. “From the adult perspective, we know that social engagement and staying active and feeling like they’re giving back to their community does slow the progression of dementia.”
The ARDC of La Crosse has helped coordinate the project with the county and state and will run the initial pilot program for the first two years.
About a year ago, the La Crosse County Board of Supervisors approved a $19.6 million remodel and addition to the Hillview Health Care Center. In addition to the intergenerational center, the project also includes 10 new units of bridge housing for the unhoused, renovations to the nursing home and a new Dementia Crisis Stabilization Unit.
Funds totaling $12 million from the federal American Rescue Plan Act will pay for much of the renovation.
There are still a lot of details to work out. They aren’t sure yet how many children and adults will attend the center. Pagel-Smith said the facility could offer dementia care for 20 to 40 adults. The YWCA expects to have child care for 60 to 70 kids up to the age of 5.
The YWCA currently operates a child care center at Western Technical College and may take on the entire intergenerational program after the initial pilot.
“We’d be able to have that historical knowledge that would aid us in the ability to take on (that dementia care) piece of the programming and be able to continue to offer those (dementia care) services along side the child care in the Hillview Center,” Northwood said.
La Crosse County’s idea of providing day care for children and adults with dementia addresses challenges happening statewide — with care for both lacking amid a workforce shortage.
Pagel-Smith said despite a variety of intergenerational models being tested in the state, this would be the first organized by county government.
“A lot of these counties have been sitting with this unused (nursing home) space for a very long time and in some cases have had some of these ideas and have run into those roadblocks that we have approached and have had conversations with the state about,” she said, referring to accessibility and ensuring the space and care meets the needs for both age groups.
The La Crosse County ARDC is still looking for partners to work on the Hillview program. They’ve already reached out to the University of Wisconsin-La Crosse about opportunities for students to staff the adult care center. Pagel-Smith said they will also be cross-training people to work with both the children and adults with dementia.
The new facility is expected open in December 2025.
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