GUILFORD COUNTY, N.C. — Families of loved ones with intellectual disabilities often send them to an adult day health facility to support their needs.
Those services can be beneficial for their emotional and physical well-being. The problem, it can take up to a year to receive that care according to Journey Adult Day Center Director Andrea Waugh.
It's due to waitlists.
News 2 spoke with the Guilford County Department of Health and Human Services about the waitlist and a day center that hopes to alleviate the issue.
'Restoring the joy in journey' is the motto Journey Adult Day Center in Greensboro goes by every day.
"We are able to help others come in and find their self-worth again. That's the main thing we are here to do," said Journey Adult Day Center Director Andrea Waugh.
The center works with people 18 years and up with developmental disabilities to improve their personal growth.
"We do different things such as the crafts, we've done beading. We've created key chains, and T-shirts for our individuals," said Waugh.
Currently, the center can serve up to 15 clients, but soon that number will grow to more than 50 once they open a bigger facility off of Yanceyville Street.
"We are going from 1,760 squared feet to 8,250 squared feet that we can continue to serve our current ones and those that have been waiting, as we have been told over a year some of them," said Waugh.
Laurie Jones with the Guilford County Department of Health and Human Services said dozens of people have been put on a waitlist because there are only a few facilities that work with these group of adults in Greensboro.
"An example of that, there are currently no adult day care centers in Greensboro now there are some adult day health facilities but no day care facilities," said Jones.
She said it's nice to hear that an additional health facility will help with the demand.
"It is like a burden that is lifted because we always want to see our elders and our people who have disabilities, our vulnerable populations with the best services as possible," said Jones.
"It's exciting that we are able to do it in the capacity and provide the healthcare and also the socialization," said Waugh.