Springfield Hospital has announced it will close its long-running adult day program on Sept. 30. These programs provide supervised care and activities for adults with physical and cognitive disabilities, and offer respite for caregivers.
The Springfield program is one of only 10 adult day services currently operating in the state, and its impending closure is the latest blow to an already-struggling industry.
Springfield Hospital administrators cited financial reasons and said despite aggressive marketing in recent months, the program has been underutilized since the COVID-19 pandemic.
“It was an incredibly difficult decision,” said hospital spokesperson Tonia Fleming. “Like many hospitals in the state, we're facing significant financial challenges. We explored many options to continue operating the service, but ultimately just was no longer financially sustainable.”
The closure affects eight full-time and five part-time employees, though Fleming said hospital officials hope to find new roles for these individuals.
The program currently serves 42 clients, Fleming said. She cited Upper Valley Adult Day Care in Quechee, The Gathering Place in Brattleboro and Castle Center Adult Day Care in Keene, New Hampshire, as possible alternatives for care.
Upper Valley's program is ready to welcome some of Springfield's clients, said executive director Eric Fritz. But transportation is already a barrier for people seeking these services, he said.
For caregivers who are already stressed, having to drive an extra half-hour or hour for respite care may not be possible, and Fritz said higher gas prices add to the cost.
“Let's say I'm an adult child with a full-time job, and I'm counting on that service to take care of my parent while I go to work. Now what? What do I do with that parent?" Fritz said, adding that adult day programs are lifelines for many caregivers.
Fritz is also president of the Vermont Association of Adult Day Services, and said he's worried about the important services Springfield’s clients will miss out on if they can't find another place for care.
“The socialization, the programming, the nutrition, the nursing oversight,” he said.
If people aren’t getting that, Fritz said, chances are they’re going to decline even faster.
“And therefore, you know, end up in a long-term care facility, or have to utilize hospital services, which is much more expensive and a sad thing for them and their families," he said.
Springfield Hospital officials would not disclose how much money they expect to save by shuttering the program. While the hospital may save money in the short-term, Fritz and other adult day program administrators argue Vermont will likely pay more in the long-run.
Five other adult day programs have shut their doors in Vermont since 2020 in Rutland, Barre, Newbury, Colchester and Essex. And others have also struggled in recent years.
Before the COVID-19 pandemic, The Meeting Place in Newport used to serve 28 clients a day, said Don Hunt, president of Northeast Kingdom Homecare, which operates the adult day program.
Today, he said they have half that on a good day.
“You’d think this industry would be a growth industry, especially in Vermont,” Hunt said. But he said unless the government steps in to help adult day programs, he expects more will close.
In fact, Hunt said he’s already put out feelers to sell theirs.
