Centers for adult day care focus on providing elder care and companionship for senior citizens who require monitoring or assistance during the day. This can help family members or others caring for the elderly to be able to go to work, run errands, or have some personal time with the assurance that the senior citizen is being cared for and is safe. This program aims to delay or prevent the necessity of moving to a nursing home by offering alternative care, enhancing self-esteem, and setting up opportunities for socialization.
Types of Adult Care Facilities
Two types of day care exist. One type is called adult social day care, and it offers senior citizens social activities, meals, recreation, and some health-related care. The other is called adult health day care, and it offers elder care with more specialized health, therapeutic, and social services for senior citizens with severe medical disorders and disabilities and those more prone to requiring care in a nursing home.
Senior citizens who take part in these programs usually do so on a scheduled basis. Following is a list of some services offered in adult care centers:
- Counseling
- Education
- Evening care
- Recreation
- Health screening
- Meals
- Medical care
- Physical therapy
- Exercise
- Socialization
- Supervision
- Respite care
- Transportation
- Medical management
Is Adult Day Care the Right Choice for Our Family?
If you are wondering whether you or a family member can benefit from adult day care, the following case study might answer some of your questions. Paul is a 69-year-old man who has had a stroke. He moves in with his son, David, and daughter-in-law, Kira, for supervision and support, but since they both work, Paul needs a different type of care during the day. Their solution is for Kira to take Paul to an adult day care center in the morning and for David to pick him up after work. The center is able to monitor Paul's medications and provides lunch, some physical therapy, and social activities with other senior citizens while David and Kira are at work.
Adult Day Care Facilities: Choosing the Right Facility
When searching for the right adult day care center for you or your loved one, it's important to note that there may be vast differences among centers, so you may want to find out about each center near you. Visiting the centers and talking those providing the elder care and other families who take part in this program may help you determine whether a certain facility meets your needs.
Another important factor to consider is cost, which can range from $25 to $100 per day depending on factors like which services are included, where the center is located, and the type of reimbursement. These costs are generally not covered by Medicare, but some financial assistance may be available through federal or state programs such as Medicaid, the Older Americans Act, and the Veterans Administration.
Contacting your local aging information and assistance provider or area agency on aging can provide you with listings and information of specific centers located near you. The Eldercare Locator (www.eldercare.gov) can help you connect to these agencies. This is also a helpful website to peruse if you're considering assistive technology as an option. Some area agencies can assist senior citizens and those involved in their elder care with finding and buying low-cost assistive technology, as can local civic groups, religious and veterans' organizations, and senior centers.
If you're looking for general information about adult day care and its programs, the National Adult Day Services Association can link you to a state adult day care association. You can reach this service at http://www.nadsa.org.
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