A Little Rock adult day care may not survive another round of quarantine shutdowns, staff shortages, and client decreases

Little Rock, Arkansas — For one adult daycare in Little Rock, the struggle to keep the doors open during the pandemic has become a second job.

According to Shay Stevens, the owner of Millennium Companion Adult Daycare and home care agency, most caregivers of her clients have chosen to keep their loved ones at home instead of bringing them to facilities like hers because she mostly houses dementia patients.

Studies have shown that COVID has had a more aggressive effect on the elderly and for some of Stevens’ clients with dementia, the after-effects of the virus have been a major factor in the decline of her business.

According to Dr. Morgan Sauer, who specializes in family medicine, geriatrics, and palliative medicine at Baptist Hospital, he has also seen a drastic difference in patients who are currently suffering from Alzheimer’s and dementia.

After being in business for 10 years, the pandemic has caused her business to see many dark days and has questioned its future existence, Stevens said.

Her business may not survive another round of quarantine shutdowns, staff shortages, and client decreases, Stevens said.

Stevens has remained optimistic in hopes of the daycare beating the odds and will remain open.