Adult day services program reopens in Murray, struggles to rebound from Dec. 10 tornado

By Loren Freed/For The Sentinel | Feb. 24, 2024

MURRAY – On Dec. 10, 2021, the tornado that ripped through Mayfield, Kentucky hit the old Eloise Fuller apartment complex in the downtown area, which at the time housed Generations Adult Day Services. Generations provides care for developmentally disabled and frail adults throughout western Kentucky and is one of only a handful of organizations that offer this service.

Generations Adult Day Services provides care for developmentally disabled and frail adults throughout western Kentucky.Photo byFacebook/Generations Adult Day Services

“It took out our agency completely,” said Christy Gardner, Generations’ executive director. “We were wiped out.”

After the tornado came the rain, and with the rain came the flooding. The apartments above the agency caved in, and the entire building was flooded out.

“We were able to get into the building and take a couple of comfort items like the participants’ coffee mugs and a few personal effects,” recalled Gardner. “But it was 100% devastation. I mean, the place was leveled.”

“If we had not had an insurance policy on the inside of that building, we would have had to close,” she added. “There's really not a whole lot of other agencies in this area to fill the need that we fill. Easterseals (West Kentucky) provides similar services; but they're very big, and they're full. And so, our participants would have been without anything.”

Generations provides daytime care for sick and physically and developmentally disabled adults in Calloway, Marshall, Fulton, McCracken, Graves and surrounding counties. The nonprofit agency provides a place for adults 21 years and older living with conditions such as cerebral palsy, down syndrome, schizophrenia and Alzheimer’s, who have limited local options for the daytime nursing care that they require in order to live independently in the community or with their families.

It also offers a respite for caregivers. “Taking care of someone with Alzheimer's is a full-time job,” said Gardner. The agency enables family members who have loved ones in the program to work, do grocery shopping or just have a day off.

The agency fills a critical need in the community for adults over 21 who have aged out of school programs and are not able to work due to their disabilities. Its mission is to keep people out of nursing homes for as long as possible. “Nursing home and long-term care are very stressful for families,” said Gardner, who has served as executive director since 2021.

They are also very expensive. Moving to a nursing home can drain the resources that people have worked their entire lives to build. Being able to live at home helps to preserve those resources, which contributes to their quality of life, their family legacy, and optimizes what they’re able to pass on to their grandchildren and great-grandchildren.

“Being able to keep someone at home as long as possible with their caregiver is just huge,” Gardner emphasized.

Generations receives operating funds through Kentucky’s Medicaid waiver program. “100% of the money that we get from Medicaid goes back into the organization itself,” Gardner said. “We actually set our private rates lower than what Medicaid reimburses, and if someone can't pay the bills because they don’t qualify for Medicaid, we find a sponsor.” Local churches and other organizations have stepped up to sponsor individuals who have trouble paying program fees.

But the agency’s ability to continue providing these services remains threatened in the wake of the tornado. It had to close for about a year and a half after the Mayfield building was destroyed. A fundraising effort, which netted about $45,000, helped them get back up and operating, and they reopened in Murray in August 2023.

Generations had a small insurance policy, which enabled them to replace the contents of the building, such as couches, televisions, tables and chairs. While furnishings were covered, the building’s fixtures, such as specialized security system the agency installed, were not.

The Mayfield building was equipped with a security lock system that had been installed for the safety of individuals with Alzheimer’s. If someone tried to open the door, an alarm would sound for 15 seconds before the door opened. This gave staff time to respond in time to stop the person from leaving the building unaccompanied and helped keep participants safe.

That system – which cost $10,000 and had been purchased through a grant just four years earlier – was destroyed along with the building. The insurance company considered the security system part of the building, rather than part of the contents, and would not provide reimbursement to replace it.

In addition to the losses incurred from the destruction of the agency’s building, the disruption in services facilitated the loss several program participants. Some moved to nursing homes, and others passed away. Still others moved away to be with family members after their homes were destroyed by the tornado. Staff members were saddened to lose these people, whom they had grown close to.

But these losses have also meant reductions in Medicaid reimbursements. That has left a hole in their finances, which they are struggling to fill. Adding insult to injury, not only has its income been down, but the agency’s costs have tripled since moving to Murray.

The building that Generations now occupies on U.S. 641 North has about three times the space as their previous building in Mayfield, but it’s not all usable space for day programs. So, even though the rent and utilities are the same price per square foot as the old space, they still have to pay for the entire space. The increased space has enabled them to expand their program capacity from 14 individuals to 20, but that still leaves them in arrears on bills.

All of this amounts to a need to generate additional funds, not only to replace the security system but also to expand their capacity to serve the population who depends on their help. Since they moved to Murray, the agency has amassed an extensive waiting list.

In order to serve additional members of the community, they will need a new building; that entails hiring additional staff. Generations also wants to start a case management program, which involves its own hiring costs and other expenses, such as laptops.

“In order to keep our program intimate and small and person-centered,” Gardner said, “we need a new building and additional staff, because we want to make sure that the care we're providing is intentional.”

Gardner wants to hold fundraising events to help Generations get back on its feet and expand its services. Some of the ideas she has include hosting a spaghetti dinner or pancake breakfast or a kickball or bowling tournament. She is also floating the notion of a benefit concert (“Battle of the Bands” style) and a charity art auction. Having staff work with a food truck to take orders from and deliver plates to local businesses is also a possibility.

Generations staff would do the legwork for all of these events. “We have the means to do the work,” noted Gardner. What they lack is the upfront resources and overhead needed to hold these types of events. The goal is to raise $15,000.

The fundraisers also serve a dual purpose. It helps generate the funds needed to enable them to catch up on expenses, and through local partners’ involvement with the fundraising, the agency can demonstrate that it has community support. This, in turn, enables them to qualify for grant funding, which is the next stage of expanding their capacity to serve the community.

Gardner’s dream is to operate in two locations. The plan has been to move back to Mayfield eventually, and they have already signed on to join the Mayfield Community Center when they do so. However, since moving to Murray, she has received many calls from residents here about the agency’s services.

“Keeping this location open when our Mayfield area opens is absolutely a possibility,” Gardner said, and would enable Generations to accept more people from its extensive waiting list.

“If we are led to stay in Murray,” she added, “that’s what we’ll do.”

Any individuals or local businesses interested in helping with fundraising efforts, can call Gardner at 270-247-1311 or email Christy.generationsofky@gmail.com.