Lela Sergi, who is 85 years old and has seen a lot in her life, lives by one fundamental principle.
“I think anything in life is what you make it,” Sergi replied. According to Sergi, she is dedicated to living life to the fullest.
“Any day I get up is a good day,” Sergi said Watson, a comfort animal that works at the Full Life Adult Day Health Center in Everett.
Sergi stays at the center a lot of the time. She frequently plays with a silly Basset Hound dog named Watson.
Full Life has been in business in downtown Everett for the last 20 years. It’s the only facility in Snohomish County that offers medical care in addition to food, physical therapy, counseling, and fitness programs.
However, it primarily offers companionship.
For the majority of the 103 otherwise housebound clients, days at Full Life are frequently their only chance to venture outside and engage in activities.
In particular, Sergi lives in an adult family home where the majority of the residents seldom ever leave their rooms.
“I really like it here,” Sergi stated. “It’s a good place. The people are nice. It gives me something to get up and go to, and it changed my attitude.”
However, Full Life’s Everett location is closing due to the state’s persistently low Medicaid reimbursement rates and the anticipated far larger federal cuts.
“Adult Day Health programs outside of King County were not awarded adequate funding in this year’s state budget,” according to a statement. “In the last twelve months alone, the center) has operated at a $3 million deficit.”
Since 2018, 21 Full Life locations in western Washington have closed, this being the eighth.
“Adult Day Health needs an additional 10% increase and equitable rate adjustments to services in King and Snohomish Counties to remain operational,” April Hamilton, Full Life’s director of adult day programs, stated.
People like Zach Mendes, who is nonverbal and has special needs, are among those left behind. For eighteen years, Mendes has been attending Full Life. He is now able to travel alone on a bus to the facility because of their assistance.
Mendes’ father fears that his son would lose a lot of the progress he has made if he is forced to leave.
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“If there’s no programs and no funding for anywhere, it’s like he means nothing to these people,” Mendes father stated.
Sergi stated that she will make the most of the situation despite the facility’s impending closure, but she is concerned about all the other people she regards as friends.
In order to make the shutdown as stress-free as possible for their customers, Full Life management stated that they are collaborating with the Washington State Department of Social and Health Services.
July 18 is the facility’s last day of operation.
