New day center supports memory care patients

Published 1:30 am Friday, April 24, 2026

A retro red fridge, Marilyn Monroe on the wall and a round of giant KerPlunk aren’t just nostalgic touches — they’re part of a new effort in Oak Harbor to bring comfort, structure and connection to people living with memory loss.

Our Hearts Together, located on the second floor of the Midway Trader’s Village, opened two weeks ago and is already welcoming participants experiencing dementia and Alzheimer’s disease. The center’s staff create “a predictable rhythm that supports memory and well-being,” states a press release, while caregivers get time to themselves.

Inside, the day center offers a full day of activities, games, art, music and interpersonal care in a setting designed to feel familiar. With capacity for 12 participants — whom Executive Director Kathie Rivas endearingly calls “friends” — the program emphasizes social engagement and daily structure, supported by licensed caregivers on staff.

The environment itself is intentional. Rooms are meant to transport participants back to the 1900s, complete with celebrity portraits on the walls, a vintage record player, books about the 1960s, retro dining tables and an old-fashioned red fridge.

“I think it’s super important for caregivers to be able to have a place to take their loved one somewhere that’s safe and secure,” Rivas said. “We want to be the foundation to support the community.”

Rivas, a fourth-generation caregiver, brings 42 years of experience to the role, including managing Heartsong Homecare Cooperative in Anacortes. At the day center in Oak Harbor, which is part of the cooperative, Kathie’s approach centers on individualized care. Her main goal, she said, is to meet her participants where they are at.

“People revert back to their earlier times,” she said. “When people walk in here, I really want them to feel like they walked back into their past, into the times that made their hearts smile.”

For Kayla Wood, the marketing director, the mission is deeply personal. Her grandfather lived with dementia. Because of him, she said, she truly understands the power of day centers.

“He kinda just existed and that was it, ” she said, that is, until his daughter began taking him to the local day center. “I really, really, wholeheartedly believe that it extended his life. I think that it brought something back in him. It got him something to do to get up and get out the door.”

Offering excellent care is crucial, Rivas said. Although it isn’t required by the state, staff members and volunteers will undergo two eight-hour trainings on how to care for people with memory loss and how to redirect unwanted behaviors. A strong team is essential to delivering quality care, Rivas said. Her and her husband’s support for their staff caregivers is never-ending; from booking a staff member an eye appointment to paying for someone’s down payment on a vehicle.

The need for an adult day center is significant across Whidbey Island, Rivas noted. About 28% of Island County residents are over the age of 65. That is roughly 1.5 times the national rate, according to a U.S. Census report. The center aims to serve the broader community by partnering with para-transit to reach participants across the island. Through its other partnerships, including Meals on Wheels, which will provide a free nutritious lunch each day, and the Whidbey Bagel Factory, which will supply a meal once a week, they hope to foster connections with local businesses. Volunteers are also invited to share a hobby or a cup of coffee with clients.

Rivas has long-term plans to purchase a bigger building, open a children’s center to encourage joint memories with seniors and youth and eventually expand to the South End.

To meet varying needs, the center offers multiple membership tiers, ranging from one day a week for $400 per month to three days a week for $1,200. Membership fees will be 25% off through the rest of the month. Current hours run Monday, Wednesday and Friday from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m.. Hours may expand if there is demand from the community. Learn more about Our Hearts Together by calling 360-474-4905 or visit www.heartsong.coop.