Cupertino Senior Day Services, which has provided day care for frail elders in Cupertino and Sunnyvale for 23 years, is one of those struggling with funding. Last July, it closed its Sunnyvale site on Dalles Avenue to save money.

The agency recently merged with Live Oak Adult Day Services, a similar nonprofit organization that operates in Los Gatos, Gilroy and San Jose.

Consolidating with Live Oak was an endeavor to help the Cupertino agency continue to provide services.

Michael Miller, president of the Live Oak board of directors, calls the merge a natural partnership.

"Our agencies have similar histories, beginning in local churches two decades ago, with a mission to serve seniors who have Alzheimer's, Parkinson's or other frailties," Miller says. "By uniting, both of our programs will be stronger at a time when our local senior population is growing and needing these services."

Despite the change, Cupertino Senior Day Services continues providing its services at St. Jude Episcopal Church on McCllellan Road.

The agency's 30 clients still start their mornings with the staff reading the "Dear Abby" column to them. They still do gentle exercise after the news briefing. And they still have their nutritious lunch for free.

The service offers more than free lunch and activities. Clients come for companionship.

"I enjoy coming here and being around people," says Bonnie Makela, 76, She has come to day services four days a week for the past 14 years. "It gives me a reason to dress up and leave the house. Otherwise I probably would sit in my robe and slippers and stay in my room the whole day."

Binnie Seidman, who will celebrate her 93rd birthday on July 23, says she never gets bored at day services.

"There are always activities," says Seidman, who refers to some 80-plus-year-old clients as babies. "I like to keep myself busy."

Some clients come to day services so their caregivers can have a break.

"This is not my favorite place to be, but my husband takes me here twice a week," says Sunnyvale resident Mary Taylor. "He doesn't need to be here because he remembers everything. I don't."

Community involvement has been an important help to the program. Students from the special education department at De Anza College clean the lunch room. Able senior volunteers are paired with clients who need individual attention. Some volunteers play music or bring their pets.

"I started volunteering here three years ago because I want to make sure when I get old everything is in place," says Ella Washington, who began working as an assistant program manager a year ago.

Staff and volunteers say it is challenging to work with frail seniors, whose medical conditions range from depression to Parkinson's disease. The clients are between 65 and 95.

"The most difficult part of my work is to take care of clients who suffer from Alzheimer's. They constantly want to leave. They don't know why they are here. They feel they are abandoned and left here," says recreation therapist Raina Rogowski. "We just have to talk to them and find different activities to distract them and make them as comfortable as possible."

Washington says taking care of seniors is like taking care of small children.

Challenging as it is, caring for seniors is also a rewarding experience, especially when the clients share their life stories and words of wisdom.

Washington has noticed a cultural difference in people's acceptance of senior day services.

"Many Asians are reluctant to send their parents or grandparents to the senior day services because they think they shouldn't give their responsibility to somebody else," Washington says. "They don't realize they will burn out very quickly and eventually they have to send the seniors to a nursing home."

Washington understands the cultural differences well because she has trouble persuading her Japanese mother to send her African American father to daycare facilities.

"Senior day services is a place where seniors can keep active and also give their caregivers some rest." Washington says.

Cupertino Senior Day Services is located at 20920 McClellan Road. For more information, call 408.973.0905.