The challenges to fund senior care
Bronx adult day care center speaks of insurance issues during COVID-19
BY JASON COHEN
When the coronavirus started to
ramp up in the country, many health
insurance companies refused to
cover services provided by adult day
care centers.
Since then, the staff at these centers
have had to make adjustments,
including communicating with patients
via telecare and going door to
door to provide other services. Without
insurance coverage, many of the
expenses are coming out of center
owners’ pockets, not patients. The
patients have never been charged an
extra fee.
Boris Feldman, owner of Open
Arms Circle Social Adult Day Center
at 860 E 161st St., and its program
director Jennifer Kelman, explained
that most insurance companies are
only paying 20 to 50 percent of the
agreed-upon, contractual rate for
daily services.
According to Feldman, one insurance
company pulled a contact
after eight years, exercising their
no-cause clause, but ultimately denying
the patients the care they are
entitled to.
“We don’t need to be open,”
Feldman stressed. “We need to be
compensated so we can provide
the services.”
The center primarily deals with
physically and mentally disabled
adults in the Latino and African
American population. With 130 clients
and 50 to 60 at the facility on a
regular basis, they explained that
helping patients has not been easy
during the pandemic.
When COVID-19 arrived, adult
BRONX TIMES R 40 EPORTER, DECEMBER 4-10, 2020 BTR
day care centers in the city closed
and staff at Open Arms began checking
in on people virtually, delivering
masks, gloves, food, newspapers and
arts and crafts kits.
Feldman and Kelman said the center
had lost clients to the coronavirus
and many constantly asked when the
facility is reopening.
“They are depressed,” Feldman
said. “Some of them don’t even want
to get out of bed. They just want to
socialize, come back and be around
people. They want to continue receiving
care and hot meals from us.”
Feldman and Kelman claimed the
insurance companies have not been
abiding by the Department of Health
guidelines regarding COVID-19.
The staff at Open Arms was reduced
from 12 to three people and insurance
companies were only providing
coverage for 35 clients according
to Kelman who noted that it’s a battle
just to get that money.
“We are their only lifeline,” Feldman
said. “We were angry in the
beginning. I can’t even say we are
upset. We have to be there to provide
services to the clients. It’s
about survival.”
Seniors at of Open Arms Circle Social Adult Day Center, which is struggling to take care of
its clients. Photos courtesy of Open Arms Circle Social Adult Day Center
Bartow-Pell gets festive
Photos courtesy of Bartow-Pell Mansion Museum
BY ALEX MITCHELL
It’s not quite Rockefeller Center, but
a new holiday attraction at the Bartow-
Pell Mansion Museum in Pelham Bay is
quite a tasty one to say the least.
The museum has decked its halls
with a Pez-ornamented Christmas tree,
among many other pines, which will be
hanging similar candy for guests to admire
this holiday season.
Approximately 130 candy dispensers
will adorn the festive tree, ranging
from the classic Santa and Mrs. Claus to
“naughty listed” Bart Simpson, Garfi eld
the lasagna-loving feline, Anna and Olaf
from Disney’s “Frozen” along with princess
Cinderella, to name just a few.
That tree will be guarded by two of
earth’s mightiest heroes, Thor, the Asgardian
god of thunder and billionaire
weapons-contractor-turned-Avenger,
Tony Stark — more commonly known
as Iron Man.
Along with the dispensing tree, the
museum will also have timed and ticketed
candlelight walk-throughs starting
this Friday, Dec. 4 from 4 to 9 p.m.
There will also be daytime walkthroughs
beginning on Saturday, Dec.
5, in addition to performances of “Mr.
Dickens Tells a Christmas Carol” on
Saturday, Dec. 12 and Sunday, Dec. 13
and the following weekend on Saturday,
Dec. 19 and Sunday, Dec. 20.
As the mansion grounds remain open
each day, a brand new Candy Cane Carriage
House Gift Shoppe will welcome
customers on weekends from Saturday,
Dec. 5 through Sunday, Dec. 20.
Hot cocoa and “yummy jingle dogs”
will be sold for purchase.
Bartow-Pell Mansion also stressed
that New York State and New York
City COVID-19 health and safety guidelines
must be followed imperatively
during all visits. Individuals must
wear face coverings when they are in
public space and are within six feet of
other individuals.
More can be learned on these holiday
happenings at BartowPellMansion-
Museum.org.
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