INDIANAPOLIS, Indiana — Nearly 19 percent of Indiana residents are aged 65 or older. For many Hoosier seniors, family caregivers provide daily care and support. These caregivers often also raise young children while working full-time. State projections show Indiana’s senior population will considerably outpace younger Hoosiers over the next several decades, creating an urgent need for caregiver support and improved functional outcomes for seniors. The newly launched program joining Joy’s House Center for Caregivers and Adult Day Services and Restore Rehab brings the promise of both relief and improvement for seniors and their caregivers.

When seniors rely on family for care, adult day service organizations, like Joy’s House, fill a critical need by giving caregivers a break. While caregivers receive a respite, Guests at Joy’s House enjoy a safe, welcoming, and enriching environment with community meals, activities, and support for their needs.

“Joy’s House started because of a personal experience and need,” says Tina McIntosh, founder and CEO of Joy’s House, “and we see how so many family caregivers breathe a sigh of relief to have quality day services where their loved one isn’t a client—they’re a Guest in our home, treated with warmth, dignity, and respect.”

More than 25 years after opening its doors to provide adult day services, Joy’s House continues to evolve, meeting the changing needs of caregivers. Several years after its founding, the organization expanded its mission to include caregiver support and education, recognizing that caring for the caregiver is just as important as caring for their loved one. Today, Joy’s House is once again changing how caregivers think about adult day services—this time through a partnership with Restore Rehab.

The two organizations share a quality-of-care philosophy that centers senior dignity and ability. Restore Rehab, unique among its peers for its in-house rehab therapy model at The Restoracy, has built a reputation for serving seniors as valuable community members—a commitment that led to its collaboration with Joy’s House, piloting a rehabilitation support model for adult day services in Broad Ripple.

“Many seniors need support improving their balance and reaction times. These two aspects of physical health reduce the likelihood and seriousness of falls—the number one reason seniors go to the ER,” explains Bill Trussel, president of Restore Rehab. “This is why we’re thinking differently about how to reach seniors and support them through rehabilitation to maintain and improve the functional movement that keeps them more independent and safer whether they’re in an adult day center, independent living, or assisted living facility.”

The program makes quality, function-focused rehabilitation accessible for Joy’s House Guests, but it also goes beyond mobility — addressing pain management, dementia communication education, and fine motor skill support essential for self-feeding and dressing. Guests and their families are already noticing improvements.

Trussel shares, “Most seniors want to stay independent and live at home (aging in place)—for many, financial circumstances provide few options, even if more advanced care would be beneficial. Our partnership with Joy’s House allows both organizations to start bridging the gap between what seniors need for functional improvement and their ability to access therapy that supports their goal of staying independent. ”

This type of rehabilitation support expands caregiver relief beyond the respite hours. As seniors regain functional movement, caregiving work diminishes. Quality of life improves for the whole family when seniors can dress and eat more independently.

The senior population continues to grow in Indianapolis and across the state, and so do the needs of seniors and their caregivers. The impact of partnerships between Restore Rehab and spaces serving Hoosier seniors will be measurable not only in quality of life, but also in overall care cost savings for families, communities, and the state.

About Restore Rehab

Launched to buck the industry trends holding patients and rehabilitation teams back, Restore Rehab’s core rehabilitation philosophy re-imagines what it means to provide exceptional care to seniors. Restore Rehab provides individualized and holistic care and restores health and dignity in an environment that fosters independence while focusing on quality outcomes.

About Joy’s House

Joy’s House provides support and services to adults living with life-altering diagnoses and their caregivers through its Center for Caregivers and Adult Day Services in Indianapolis. Guests spend the day in a safe, engaging place built around care, connection, and meaningful activity. Through the Center for Caregivers, Joy’s House provides services, programs, and connections to caregiving families in Indianapolis and beyond caring for someone they love.