| Centers for adult day care focus on providing | | | | agencies, religious institutions, hospitals, or schools. |
| elder care and companionship for senior citizens | | | | Those providing the elder care may monitor |
| who require monitoring or assistance during the | | | | medications, provide meals and snacks, perform |
| day. This can help family members or others | | | | therapy, set up social activities, and organize |
| caring for the elderly to be able to go to work, | | | | transportation to and from the center. |
| run errands, or have some personal time with the | | | | Is Adult Day Care the Right Choice for Our |
| assurance that the senior citizen is being cared for | | | | Family? |
| and is safe. This program aims to delay or | | | | If you are wondering whether you or a family |
| prevent the necessity of moving to a nursing | | | | member can benefit from adult day care, the |
| home by offering alternative care, enhancing | | | | following case study might answer some of your |
| self-esteem, and setting up opportunities for | | | | questions. Paul is a 69-year-old man who has had |
| socialization. | | | | a stroke. He moves in with his son, David, and |
| Types of Adult Care Facilities | | | | daughter-in-law, Kira, for supervision and support, |
| Two types of day care exist. One type is called | | | | but since they both work, Paul needs a different |
| adult social day care, and it offers senior citizens | | | | type of care during the day. Their solution is for |
| social activities, meals, recreation, and some | | | | Kira to take Paul to an adult day care center in |
| health-related care. The other is called adult health | | | | the morning and for David to pick him up after |
| day care, and it offers elder care with more | | | | work. The center is able to monitor Paul's |
| specialized health, therapeutic, and social services | | | | medications and provides lunch, some physical |
| for senior citizens with severe medical disorders | | | | therapy, and social activities with other senior |
| and disabilities and those more prone to requiring | | | | citizens while David and Kira are at work. |
| care in a nursing home. | | | | Adult Day Care Facilities: Choosing the Right |
| Senior citizens who take part in these programs | | | | Facility |
| usually do so on a scheduled basis. Following is a | | | | When searching for the right adult day care |
| list of some services offered in adult care centers: | | | | center for you or your loved one, it's important |
| - Counseling | | | | to note that there may be vast differences |
| - Education | | | | among centers, so you may want to find out |
| - Evening care | | | | about each center near you. Visiting the centers |
| - Recreation | | | | and talking those providing the elder care and |
| - Health screening | | | | other families who take part in this program may |
| - Meals | | | | help you determine whether a certain facility |
| - Medical care | | | | meets your needs. |
| - Physical therapy | | | | Another important factor to consider is cost, |
| - Exercise | | | | which can range from $25 to $100 per day |
| - Socialization | | | | depending on factors like which services are |
| - Supervision | | | | included, where the center is located, and the |
| - Respite care | | | | type of reimbursement. These costs are generally |
| - Transportation | | | | not covered by Medicare, but some financial |
| - Medical management Adult day care centers are | | | | assistance may be available through federal or |
| generally open during normal business hours. They | | | | state programs such as Medicaid, the Older |
| may stand alone or be a branch of senior | | | | Americans Act, and the Veterans Administration. |
| centers, nursing homes, home health care | | | | |