The private, nonprofit center is affiliated with Methodist ElderCare Services and, at 17 years, is one of the oldest in the county. Sixty percent of the 65 people who use Wesley Ridge each day receive some kind of government assistance to cover the expense, Cameron said. Medicaid pays for such care, but Medicare and private insurance companies do not. Those who don't qualify for financial help often turn to the Central Ohio Area Agency on Aging, said Diana L. Kubovcik, client services director. Franklin County residents have the added help of Senior Options, which is funded through a property tax that is levied specifically for services for people older than 60.
Families pay according to their ability, and the levy money covers the rest.
The current trend is to use nursing homes for short-term recovery from an illness or mishap until the person is well enough to return home, Kubovcik said. Libby Gomia, clinical manager for Senior Options, agreed. They are the people most likely to need day care, according to the Central Ohio Area Agency on Aging. Families provide 80 percent of the care at home, Gomia said. She has lived for 11 years at Jaycee Village, a North Side complex that helps her get up each morning, get dressed, take her medicine and eat.