San Luis Obispo, California (Community Action Partnership): November 21, 2011 - In six months, Erin Tordsen will be graduating from Cal Poly University with an undergraduate degree in psychology. This fall, as part of her course requirements, she began an internship with the Adult Day Center (ADC) in Templeton, a successful program run by Community Action Partnership of San Luis Obispo. Little did she know at the time that her internship would have a pivotal impact on her future.

ADC is an extremely affordable adult day care program which focuses on providing quality care to seniors with Alzheimer’s or other forms of dementia. The ADC environment assists its senior participants with early stages of Alzheimer’s, dementia, or cognitive impairments, in maintaining their highest level of cognitive function. The program, with the help of interns, volunteers, and donors, gives these seniors their independence and enables them to live outside of assisted living and nursing homes for as long as possible.

Tordsen grew up in the San Francisco Bay Area and had occasionally volunteered for the Red Cross when she was still in High School. Now 21 years old, she says her internship at ADC has been her first experience working fully immersed with a non-profit organization. “The experience has met my expectations and beyond,” says Tordsen; “it has been personally very rewarding and has helped me see what I want to do in the future.”

As a result of working three days a week at ADC for the past two and a half months Tordsen has gained the experience she needed to make the right choice for a graduate program. And Tordsen has so thoroughly enjoyed her internship at ADC, that it has given her the assurance her next step will be the perfect fit for her: a Masters in Gerontology.

As we were discussing Tordsen’s experience at ADC, Dave, one of the senior participants, walked through the door to begin his day at “The Club.” Tordsen immediately left her chair to welcome Dave into the home and asked him, with genuine concern, how he was feeling today. Tordsen will likely do well in the gerontology field, she has a natural contact with the seniors that is heart-warming.

Tordsen shares that she has become attached to Esther, an ADC senior participant who recently turned 90 years old and whom Tordsen describes as very witty. “I’ll be celebrating my 100th birthday here!” said Esther to Tordsen, “you’ll have to come, I’ll remember you!” 

Tordsen assists the ADC staff in any way she can. Often she will start a card game with the senior participants or just sit with them and have discussions. Tordsen explains that card and word games allow seniors suffering from Alzheimer’s or Dementia to keep their minds active; the conversations keep their memories going. She says ADC fulfills so many needs: it provides participants daily social contact, establishes a routine for them and also gives family members a break from care-giving.

For more information about ADC, please contact Community Action Partnership - Adult Day Center: 690 Petersen Ranch Road, Templeton, CA 93465, (805) 434-2081, Fax (805) 434-0738, or by e-mail: This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it .