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When Humaira Zakrea's 86-year-old father contracted West Nile virus last year, the experience in a Dallas hospital changed her life. Her background in medical billing told her the math didn't add up.
Her father had already been in the hospital for seven days. Medicare only covers 21 days of intensive care. But the doctors said he needed 14 more days of treatment, which would put him past that limit. Zakrea knew antibiotics work in one or two days, not two weeks. She realized the hospital was running out the clock. When the 21 days were up, they would tell her to move him to a nursing home or hospice.
"It really broke my heart because if they're doing this to me, they're probably doing it to other people who don't know what's going on," Zakrea said.
Her father's final wish: Don't send me to a nursing home.
That loss last year sparked a mission. On Dec. 1, Zakrea will open Bright Horizons Adult Day Center in Carrollton, a 15,000-square-foot facility that challenges the traditional nursing home model by allowing families to care for aging parents at home while providing professional daytime care.
"Assisted living facilities are, like, $10,000 a month. Who can afford that?" Zakrea said. "Sometimes parents really don't need to go to a nursing facility. Maybe they just want to stay at home and socialize during the day."
At $100 per day plus a $500 deposit, Bright Horizons costs a fraction of residential care. The center can accommodate up to 105 clients daily, serving those with dementia, Alzheimer's and Parkinson's disease.
But the real difference isn't just financial. It's philosophical.
Susan Midday, BSN, RN, the facility's full-time nurse, has seen too many assisted living facilities where residents simply sit and watch TV.
"I want them to continue to live, not just sit there waiting for the end," Midday said.
Her approach reflects that philosophy. She remembers working with former salespeople who, with dementia, would try to sell everything around them, even the chair they were sitting in.
"My philosophy as a nurse is to go with the flow and make them live in their world without forcing them to live in ours," Midday said. "So if they wanna be a salesperson, then sure, I'll buy what they’re selling."
The facility embodies this philosophy. Inside, families find a cozy waiting area with china cabinets and a formal dining room featuring donated family heirlooms. Beyond the homey aesthetics lies a carefully designed activity program.
A gaming area offers chess, poker and bingo stations with an "observation deck" where clients can participate or referee. A putting green provides recreation. The theater doubles as a rest area with reclining seats. There's a library, chapel for Bible study sessions with Friends Baptist Church at The Fields and a salon for haircuts and manicures.
The center maintains a one-to-five staff-to-client ratio. All certified caregivers receive comprehensive training. Midday conducts all intake assessments, reviewing not just diagnoses but who each person was before their condition.
"It's vital because that makes the difference between just bringing a loved one to the center just to sit and watch TV or bringing the loved one to someone that understands them and that can relate to them from where they are," Midday said.
Services extend beyond activities. An in-house therapy room offers physical, occupational and speech therapy. Transportation is billed through Medicare and Medicaid. Mental health counseling is available twice weekly. Bistro-style meals are served in three shifts.
For families whose loved ones eventually need memory care facilities, Zakrea is also developing estate sale services, home cleaning and realtor connections.
"I want their families to come in and say, you know, mom is so happy that she's been coming here and that smile on her face and the story she comes back and tells, they're worth something," Zakrea said.
Nine clients are already on the roster for opening day. The center requires a minimum two-day-per-week commitment and 30 days notice to discontinue services.
Zakrea hopes word spreads about what she calls a needed disruption in elder care.
"We only care about what the client's needs are," Zakrea said. "Let's make it more personalized for everybody. Let's give these folks a chance to live life again."
For more information, visit brighthorizonsadultdaycenter.com.
