A child thanks a Kingsley House veteran at Friday’s ceremony. (courtesy of Kingsley House)
from Kingsley House
Kingsley House honored its veterans on Nov. 8 with a special celebratory ceremony that commenced with the Pledge of Allegiance and the national anthem, a gift presentation by the Kingsley House children and remarks from guest speaker, William F. Ryan, a retired U.S. Marine Corps officer.
Most of the veterans honored are enrolled in the Kingsley Adult Day Care program on the Patrick F. Taylor campus, which provides effective day care in a community setting for at-risk seniors, medically fragile adults and veterans.
“Today, as we celebrated our veterans, we had an opportunity to honor some extraordinary men who have tirelessly served our country,” said Nathalie Fenno, adult services director of Kingsley House. “With support from funders such as the Oscar J. Tolmas Charitable Trust and Pratt-Stanton Manor Fund, we have recently enhanced our adult day-care program and can now provide additional high-quality services for our veterans and other vulnerable adults in the community.”
(courtesy of Kingsley House)
Established in 1896, Kingsley House initiated its KADC program in 1974, and today it is the largest adult day-care program in New Orleans and the state. In addition to providing care that allows individuals with significant health limitations to improve personal health outcomes while continuing to live at home, Kingsley House has begun to provide a space and community for veterans to connect, be creative and build a foundation for collaboration.
The KADC program offers veteran-enhanced services including recreational activities, such as fishing, dining out, wood carving and other crafts as well as therapeutic writing and art programs.
Over the past decade, studies have demonstrated that when individuals write about emotional experiences, significant physical and mental health improvements follow. The KADC program provides a safe space that encourages veterans to share stories, opinions and ideas through a variety of exercises and workshops that cover military issues and experiences.
In addition, veterans can benefit from Kingsley employment readiness and wellness programs, technology classes, housing referrals as well as a Veteran 101 training course offered to veteran families to help build healthy relationships between service members, both current and former, and civilians.
The dedicated Kingsley Adult Day Care staff actively works with hospital discharge staff, the Council on Aging, the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs and other community organizations to provide access to the vital resources of the KADC program. At enrollment, KADC participants and their caregiver develop a customized individual care plan for the family which is supportive of the person-centered care model that is the cornerstone of Kingsley Adult Day Care.
Kingsley House veterans honored at the ceremony include Thomas Barthelemy, Gerald Davis, Nathaniel Hodges, Oscar Johnson, Robert Johnson, Don Jolly, William LaRoach, Joe Miller, Albert Mitchell, Thomas Mitchell, Alvin Petite, William Ponceti, Edward Price, Alfred Taylor, Nathaniel White, Rudolph Whitehead and Willie Williams.
Kingsley House veterans were recognized as “extraordinary men who have tirelessly served our country.” (courtesy of Kingsley House)
For more information about Kingsley Adult Day Care and services for veterans, call 504-523-6224 or email info@kingsleycares.org.
