BRIDGEPORT, MI – A local nurse is working to reduce the strain on caregivers in the Saginaw area with a new center for seniors and people with disabilities.
Guided By Grace Adult Day Center, located at 6183 Dixie Highway in Bridgeport, officially opened on Monday, March 9, in a space next to Butter Crust Bakery. The center is across the street from Hungry Howie’s.
An open house and ribbon-cutting ceremony took place at the center on Saturday, March 7.
“I’m excited that I’m here because a year ago, the vision was so far away,” said Guided By Grace founder Tiffany Pratt. “To know that I’m here at the grand opening, it’s amazing.
Guided By Grace is a full-service care network offering “wraparound services” in the Saginaw area.
“I feel good about everything and how the wraparound services all tie into each other,” Pratt said. “I just feel that I’m doing something that the area needs, and I plan to expand into other areas one day soon.”
Pratt has been a registered nurse for nearly a decade. She also worked as a licensed nurse practitioner, focusing primarily on long-term care and mental illness.
“I kind of got a feel of different areas, and that’s one of my favorites right now, the senior citizens,” Pratt said.
As a nurse, Pratt has grown to particularly enjoy working with seniors and greatly appreciates the wisdom they have to offer.
“I love my seniors,” she said. “They get overlooked because times are fast now. You can have some good laughs. You can learn a lot about history and things that took place back when they were growing up.”
Pratt lives in Saginaw but has spent much of her life in the Bridgeport area and graduated from the Bridgeport-Spaulding Community School District.
Before becoming a registered nurse, Pratt operated a boutique, Style and Grace, for four years in the 2,000-square-foot space now occupied by the center.
“I wanted to do something more in my field,” she said.
The center accepts clients who are 55 or older as well as anyone who is 18 or older who has a physical or mental disability. Several young adults have already enrolled at the center, the youngest of whom is 19 years old.
“Some of them are autistic and just have a developmental delay,” Pratt said. “I already work with a lot of social workers and things like that because I do work with the mental health population now with housing.”
Pratt said services provided by the adult day center are in high demand due in part to caregiver strain, noting that she is not aware of any other similar facilities in the area.
“I just thought I’d give back with the senior community and the disabled,” Pratt said.
Each day, staff at the center check the wellness of every client. This includes monitoring vital signs.
“Anything that I notice that’s a change, I’ll make sure I notify the family, and if they consent to it, I can also notify the doctor,” Pratt said.
Pratt said the wellness center will help reduce hospital readmissions in the area by addressing issues before they become more severe. Additionally, she has developed a keen eye for changes in patients’ conditions through her experience as a registered nurse.
“That’s what I feel like makes me different from other adult day centers because it’s more of a wellness center,” Pratt said.
The center also addresses the rise of senior populations in the area and across the country now that baby boomers have reached retirement. Guided By Grace aims to promote independence among residents reaching this stage in life.
Clients at the center are led in morning exercises and served breakfast, lunch, and a snack each day.
From putting together puzzles to building and painting birdhouses for this spring, clients can also take part in a variety of activities, including bingo and board games.
“When they first get here in the morning, we’ll have coffee time, reminiscing,” Pratt said. “It’ll fluctuate throughout the day and throughout the week.”
Additionally, clients can watch movies in the center’s theater, which includes a screen and a projector as well as seating, movie posters and a popcorn machine. The center also plans to hold popcorn and ice cream socials and will soon have its own snow cone machine.
A sensory area where clients can watch fish swim in a tank can also be found at the center. Pratt noted that people with dementia often enjoy watching fish and said the center has other activities intended for such clients.
Some clients at the center are prone to overstimulation, which is why it has a dedicated quiet room that includes a fireplace and dimmed lighting.
To further maximize the comfort of clients, the center features a towel and blanket warmer.
The center is open from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday through Friday.
Enrollment for the center is available online at guidedbygracelivingadultcare.com/contact or by calling 989-415-9495. Clients can be enrolled for four- or eight-hour days at the center.
“It kind of works around people’s schedules,” Pratt said.
Guided by Grace accepts private pay and offers a Medicaid waiver program.
Beyond the center, Guided By Grace operates four independent living homes in the area, two of which are for men, while the other two are for women. Guided By Grace also offers home care.
The center is currently operated by Pratt and two employees, while about six Guided By Grace employees are responsible for home care.
Guided By Grace is looking to hire certified nursing assistants (CNAs), home health aides, activity assistants, and housekeepers.
Anyone who would like to apply for these positions, which are full- and part-time, can email admin@guidedbygraceliving.com or fill out an application online at guidedbygracelivingadultcare.com/employment.
Additional information about the center is available online at guidedbygracelivingadultcare.com and on the Guided By Grace Facebook page.
New Guided By Grace Adult Day Center offers wellness, activities for seniors and adults with disabilities
