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Sally White helps her husband of 46 years get dressed, fed and on the bus for the short ride from their home to Third Age Adult Day Center four mornings a week. Preparing 74-year-old Rodger White to leave the house for the day can be a chore since he’s been in declining health for more than a decade and has severe memory loss. “It’s like having a small child,” said Sally White, 78.

“This long goodbye is hell. I’m exhausted. When he’s at Third Age, I clean the house and try to get errands done.



” For thousands of older Americans like the Whites, Third Age Adult Day Center and similar adult day services provide safe, stimulating places for those who have physical or cognitive disabilities and give respite to their caregivers. William Zagorski, chairman of the National Adult Day Services Association, estimates there are about 8,000 adult day service centers across the U.S.

catering to people with varying needs who want to remain in their own homes. More than half of these centers serve homebound seniors who need supervision and opportunities to socialize. After raising four children and retiring from their teaching jobs, the Whites each began studying for the ministry.

During their studies, Rodger White suffered a brain bleed in 2013 and memory problems he’d been having for several years began to escalate. Sally White said his memory loss has stolen from her the intellectually sharp, active man she knew and the life they had planned as they grew old together. To.

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