N.C. respite program may get second life

N.C. respite program may get second life

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·         Facility for adults to close in Kill Devil Hills - Feb. 20

 

By Erin James
The Virginian-Pilot
© March 13, 2011

POWELL'S POINT, N.C.

There's a bounce in her step as Gail Sonnesso moves from room to room flicking light switches.

Beaming, she opens a door to reveal a handicap-accessible bathroom. Better yet, the office suite has tons of space to exercise. A piano sits by the wall, waiting to perform songs like "Take Me Out to the Ball Game" and "My Bonnie Lies Over the Ocean."

Just a few weeks after announcing that the GEM Center must close its doors because of a lack of funds and participation, Sonnesso said she has found a way to breathe life back into the therapeutic respite program for adults with mental disabilities, particularly dementia. If all goes as planned, this spacious office suite in Powells Point will soon be the program's new home.

Soon, but not yet.

Sonnesso, GEM's executive director, who holds a master's degree in vocational evaluation and rehabilitation counseling, said she needs at least six participants before she can afford to open the doors.

Despite a decade long history in Dare County, the program struggled financially in recent years, as Sonnesso searched unsuccessfully for a permanent space to host daily activities for older adults with dementia whose quality of life can deteriorate as their disease worsens. As grant money to pay for the program has disappeared, so too have the participants.

But the new location on Caratoke Highway - about eight miles north of the Wright Memorial Bridge in Kitty Hawk - is the fresh start GEM needs, Sonnesso said.

The move north means GEM can expect to serve parts of Currituck and Dare counties.

Not wanting to see the program disappear, an anonymous benefactor has offered GEM rent-free space for a year. The program remains the only one of its kind in the area.

Sonnesso said she'll begin hosting office hours April 15. Meanwhile, she will also go ahead with plans to expand GEM's educational offerings, including caregiver classes and in-home consultations.

For more information, call the GEM Center at (252) 480-3354.

Erin James, (252) 441-1711, erin.james@pilotonline.com