BATAVIA – In little more than a year, The Elderday Center in Batavia has faced up to some major challenges to its continued operation and not only survived, but thrived.

Elderday has provided adult daytime programming from its facility in the old McWayne School building at 328 W. Wilson St. for the past 30 years.

Now, Elderday’s offices also serve as the headquarters for Seniors Helping Seniors, a non-medical service providing assistance to senior citizens who want to continue living in their own homes.

Elderday recently acquired Seniors Helping Seniors from Batavia resident Caroline Carlson Olinger, who continues to oversee the visiting service’s operations.

Revenues generated by Seniors Helping Seniors are helping to support the programming at Elderday, a registered non-profit organization, Olinger said.

“People want to stay living at home as long as possible,” Olinger said.

Elderday is designed to help seniors with mild to moderate cognitive disabilities or physical impairment by providing adult day care service and therapeutic programs for its clients and their family caregivers.

The center was forced to close in the spring of 2019 because of financial difficulties.

Elderday reopened a couple of months later with a new executive director and reorganized board of directors, along with a recovery plan and a renewed sense of optimism.

Like so many other places of business, Elderday was again forced to close its doors this year because of the coronavirus pandemic, reopening July 1 after a three-month shutdown.

The reopening neatly aligned with the acquisition of Seniors Helping Seniors.

Both Olinger and Elderday Director Michael Cobb of North Aurora said the daytime on-site programming and the in-home visitation service complement each other, with some of Elderday’s clients availing themselves of both services.

“We’re excited about this combination,” Olinger said.

That was reason enough for Elderday to hold a recent ribbon-cutting celebration with the Batavia Chamber of Commerce and Mayor Jeff Schielke.

“The merger of these two Batavia organizations holds great possibilities for the future,” Schielke said just before snipping a wide blue ribbon.

“We’re looking forward to serving seniors even better,” Cobb said.

Happy to be back at the center was Geneva resident Sam Hill, who with his wife Carolyn is a regular client at Elderday.

“We love to participate in all the activities,” said Hill, well-known as a former Geneva alderman.

Clients at the center do exercises, play games and socialize. They receive lunch and two snacks during their weekday visits. They are looked after by a program director, a nurse and other staff members.

The center has at its disposal two classrooms, a gymnasium, a kitchen, nurse’s room and office space.

The Seniors Helping Seniors component, now operating under the Elderday umbrella, shows obvious potential for growth, Olinger said, as seniors want to age in place with a continuity of care.

“We are in desperate need of more caregivers,” Olinger said.

The care providers visit the homes of clients to cook meals, perform light housekeeping, do laundry, provide transportation and handle other chores.

The service providers are active seniors from a wide range of backgrounds, Olinger said. They help the recipients get dressed, make sure medications are taken and just as importantly provide a social connection with another senior.

Carla Hill of Batavia is a caregiver for Seniors Helping Seniors and finds that the work gives her motivation and purpose now that she is retired.

“The seniors really appreciate the help,” Hill said. “This really is a wonderful way to give back to the community.”

Olinger’s operations manager for the in-home service is Jennifer Rowitz of Hampshire, an experienced senior care professional who has worked at Batavia’s Holmstad Retirement Center.

Working with Rowitz to arrange visits is Karla Ori of Geneva, who matches caregivers with clients based on mutual schedules, the needs of the clients and the skills of the caregivers.

More information is about services offered by Elderday and Seniors Helping Seniors is available by calling the center at 630-761-9750.