3/5/08   New CDS Center to Help People With Disabilities Improve Their Health

Continuing Developmental Services (CDS) will open a health and wellness facility at its new center in Webster, thanks in part to a recent $50,000 donation.

The donation, from Excellus BCBS, will help fund a therapy pool for people with disabilities at the new CDS Life Transitions Center, which is scheduled to open June 1st.

Excellus BCBS' grant is the latest in a string of donations from local companies and individual donors for the $9.5 million Life Transitions Center.  CDS is $500,000 shy of its fundraising goal.

"People with disabilities who do not have the opportunity for physical activity are more vulnerable to serious health issues," said Sankar Sewnauth, chief executive officer of CDS, an agency that supports people with developmental disabilities. "We are grateful to Excellus BCBS for the grant to help people adopt healthier lifestyles. Excellus BCBS is helping the health and wellness facility become an important part of the new center while improving the overall health of the individuals we support."

Less than 10 percent of adults with developmental disabilities, for example, engage in physical activity at least three days a week, according to research by James K. Rimmer, Ph.D., a professor at the University of Illinois at Chicago.

"We're teaching our consumers how to live independent lives, and healthy living is a big part of that," Sewnauth added.

CDS will receive the Excellus BCBS grant in installments over four years.

"Excellus BCBS wants to help people of all abilities increase their physical fitness," said Scott Ellsworth, regional president of Excellus BCBS. "This is especially important since inactivity can lead to a range of health problems, including diabetes and heart disease."

The Life Transitions Center will be a one-of-a-kind facility that will help youth and adults with developmental disabilities transition with ease to community living. Aside from the health and wellness center, the new 64,000-square-foot facility will also include a town square, job training, family support services and an apartment where individuals can learn skills such as making a bed and using kitchen appliances.

The health and wellness center will include handicap-accessible fitness machines, free weights, parallel bars and a work table for physical therapy. Participants will also be able to visit with a personal trainer and a registered dietician.

The therapy pool will be a key part of the health and wellness center, helping CDS consumers and employees increase their strength, endurance and flexibility. The Special Olympics team will also practice in the CDS pool.

The fully-accessible, enclosed therapy pool will have a ramp and a lift for individuals with limited mobility.  The pool will be in a temperature-controlled environment to accommodate individuals with developmental disabilities, who are often sensitive to extreme temperatures. Individuals will use the pool for therapeutic, structured activities and for recreational swimming.

"Not only do therapy pools help individuals advance physically, but they also help calm and rejuvenate those who are easily frustrated." Sewnauth said.

Other donors to the Life Transitions Center include the B. Thomas Golisano Foundation, Citizens Inc. Foundation, Corning Inc. Foundation, Daisy Marquis Jones Foundation, Key Foundation and Wegmans Food Markets Inc.

"All of the support we have received from individuals and from the business community is helping to make our vision a reality," Sewnauth said.

As seen on 13WHAM TV

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