Local business shares how COVID-19 has affected their clientele

“Whether they have dementia, Alzheimer's, or nothing can come and just socialize, recreation, we have all kinds of activities, just engage with peers of their own age", says owner of Golden Years Adult Day Care, Brenda Douglass.

Douglass opened her business as a place for seniors to be around their peers, but when COVID-19 hit that changed.

Douglass said, “of course the uncertainty of it all, and all we heard is how it would affect our senior citizens, I felt compelled to close the daycare.”

Douglass closed the day care center for 30 days waiting for guidance from health care officials on how to reopen to the most vulnerable population.

She says now that she has reopened she has seen a drop in clients,“by me closing a month a reopening it’s been real slow. Again because of the uncertainty in things of this nature. The clients are coming back, but they are coming back very slowly.”

Although she has seen a lower number of clients and and a lack of federal and state funding she continues to give seniors a place to enjoy.

“As far as funding we are left out of it, but we’re taking actions to kind of improve that, because our senior citizens they need it, they deserve it", says Douglass.

Douglass says they are taking extra precautions to keep their clients and staff safe during this time by checking temperatures and sanitizing the center multiple times a day.

Imani Williams for 39 News in Jackson.