Adult day care is more than just a social outlet. Just ask Charles Reighn, who has been a member of Sunshine Adult Day Care in Newburgh, NY for the past 2 ½ years.
Charles came to Sunshine after he was referred by his nurse who thought Charles needed to get out of the house and socialize. Charles was still recuperating from a work related injury, an injury so severe that Charles was told he would never walk again. After many months of hospitalizations and rehabilitation, Charles proved the doctors wrong and slowly began to walk again. Charles was still going to physical therapy when he joined Sunshine Adult Day Care for additional stimulation.
When Charles arrived at Sunshine, he did not participate in many activities and was not comfortable socializing. After a short while at the facility, Charles was introduced to Debbie Major, founder of Xylophone Performing Arts Center for Special Needs, a non-profit organization that engages people with cognitive and physical disabilities through an innovative teaching method to educate and empower them to discover and develop their creative talents.
An avid fan of rock and roll since the young age of 7, Charles gravitated to the music therapy offered at Sunshine. Slowly, Charles became an active participant. He started to sing at Karaoke, where Debbie recognized that Charles had a raw talent. Through a sponsorship from Sunshine Adult Day Care, Debbie helped Charles produce a CD of love songs. The Xylophone Organization held a special ceremony honoring the release of Charles’ first official CD.
Charles is very proud of his accomplishment, and he credits the care at Sunshine Adult Day care for helping him achieve his goal of producing a CD. Charles was interviewed on the Mark West Show on WALL AM radio, and he now has a fan base. Charles has plans of producing a Christmas album, which should be ready for release by the holiday season.
Charles continues to be a vibrant member at Sunshine. Some of his favorite activities include Karaoke (of course), fishing apple picking, bowling, going to the movies, and many other field trips.
