Greg Andrade, RN, has been in the adult day care business for 21 years. In September, he received his license to operate Andrade Adult Day Care at 1755 Bald Hill Road in Warwick in the lower level of the Lazy Boy building, formerly Leanify Method Fitness.

Growing up in Warwick, Andrade is familiar with the area and knows how desirable of a location it is, especially for the adult day care. He was a member of the last class at Lockwood Junior High School and went on to graduate from Veterans Memorial High School.

The facility, which Andrade hopes to open early in the New Year, is licensed for 140 clients. Andrade expects 110 clients to be there daily.

Andrade was the director of Generation Adult Day Care in Smithfield for 15 years before moving on to Living Well Adult Day Care in Pawtucket where he worked up until this year when he left to invest $75,000 in his own business.

“I was in the assisted living business before this,” explained Andrade. “I got to see how those people didn’t do a whole lot during the day. They just sat around, so I helped open a facility like this.”

Open seven days a week

from 8:30 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. starting in the New Year, the day care allows individuals who are 18 and older to interact with others and focuses on socialization while attending to any medial, social or behavioral problems they might have. Andrade is a specialist in psychiatric care and has many years of experience dealing with individuals with specific needs. His staff consists of 12 to 15 workers, including Dr. Robert Rattenni, LMHC, of KBJ counseling. Dr. Rattenni provides counseling for the clients and will be in the office Monday through Friday.

Andrade said he is waiting on approvals from Medicaid as well as the release of a COVID-19 vaccine to open.

The average age of clients is between 60 and 65 with clients as young as 18 and some as old as 82. Each client is dealing with medical, social, or behavioral problems and the goal of the day care is to service those adults and focus on social interactions, health, and wellness of the mind and body. In order to be a certificated adult day care facility, 51 percent of the clients must be 55 years or older, according to Andrade.

Some of the medical conditions that Andrade and his staff work with are anxieties, depression, schizophrenia, and overall low self esteem problems.

“The goal is for our clients to get better,” explained Andrade. “They become more secure and more comfortable in their own skin.” Many of the clients live in group-homes or with a family member. Some individuals live on there own, but very few.

The day care provides many activities as well as trips to local retail stores and plazas. Andrade is excited about the location as Bald Hill Road offers easy access for trips to multiple retail stores and the Warwick Mall.

They also take bowling trips to allow clients to partake in a fun activity and interact with the public. The staff supervises all activities and trips, with the clients never being unsupervised or alone.

Trips allow clients and staff the opportunity to break up the day and stay active, something Andrade says is very important. After a few months of being with the service, some of the more reserved clients will break out of their shell and request to go to certain places. The staff is responsive to the requests of the clients and other needs they may have.

“I sit down with them when they first come here and figure out what specifically they want to work on,” said Andrade. “I know everybody by name and I know their caseworkers and every three months we review their progress.”

The day care will offer many activities and games as well as performances from musicians and singers.

The facility includes areas for working out, with gym equipment as well as a meditation studio for clients to do yoga. There is also a unisex hair salon/barber that gives haircuts to those who want one. Additionally, there is a nail salon for anyone who wants a manicure.

There is a game room with billiards, bingo, arcade games, and video games. Nutritious breakfast and lunch, which have been approved by a dietician/nutritionist, are also provided each day. The menu provided meets all dietary needs, food allergies, diabetes and heart disease, said Andrade. There are specialty days like “Taco Tuesday” and “Pizza Friday,” both of which are fan favorites, he said.

The day care works with MTM, the Rhode Island Non-Emergency Medical Transportation, to provide transportation to those who need to get to and from the facility. They service clients throughout the state, with no location being too far away.

Andrade is adamant about cleanliness and overall hygiene for his clients. Everything is sanitized after it is used and there are stations with Purell. There are multiple televisions set up in their recreation room to ensure social distancing practices, with each TV offering a show, Bingo, or videogame.

As a nurse, Andrade is able to administer medication to those clients who need it. Each client must agree to stay inside unless a staff member accompanies him or her. The day care is not certified to have individuals with Dementia or Alzheimer’s.

Medicaid, Neighborhood, and United Healthcare cover the cost of the day care. For those without insurance, the cost is $75 per day. Andrade offers a Veteran’s discount as well.

Andrade recommends that clients come at least three times per week to get into a nice rhythm and establish relationships with other clients. “My goal is good people, good food, and to have fun,” Andrade said. “If they can leave with a smile on their face, we did our job.”

Andrade Adult Day Care is currently accepting applications, which can be found on their website, www.andradeadc.com. They also have a virtual tour of their facility on their website if you are unable to attend a tour in person. For any further questions, their number is 401-320-8099 or email them at andradeadcri@gmail.com.