| Adult day care centers, also known as adult day | | | | the primary caregiver. Adult day care participants |
| services, have been providing a form of respite | | | | also have an opportunity to interact socially with |
| for caregivers for more than thirty years. The | | | | peers, share in stimulating activities, receive |
| number of centers has increased sharply over the | | | | physical or speech therapy if needed, and receive |
| years to keep pace with the demand for home | | | | assistance with the activities of daily living with |
| and community based services. | | | | dignity. |
| Adult Day Services are daytime programs | | | | Adult day services offer an individualized plan of |
| designed to need the needs of adults who need | | | | care to meet the needs of each person attending. |
| supervised care during the day while returning to | | | | Participants attend on a scheduled basis and |
| their homes or the homes of their loved ones in | | | | services may include supervision, meals and |
| the evenings. Regular use of the health and social | | | | snacks, group and individual activities, formal |
| services offered in these programs helps reduce | | | | exercise, intergenerational programming, health |
| the risk of hospitalization and provides access to | | | | monitoring, caregiver support ,group nursing |
| health and social services in a supportive | | | | services, transportation, therapeutic art activities, |
| environment. Many family caregivers can continue | | | | therapeutic music programs, therapeutic |
| working when they take advantage of adult day | | | | programming with pets, podiatry, hair care, |
| programs for their loved ones. | | | | manicures, health care, medication management, |
| Adult day care centers provide a break (respite) | | | | shower/bath, medical evaluation, therapeutic |
| to the caregiver while providing health services, | | | | dance activities, specialized diets, horticulture |
| therapeutic services, and social activities for | | | | therapy, reminiscence therapy, physical therapy, |
| people with Alzheimer's disease and related | | | | speech therapy, occupational therapy and |
| dementia, chronic illnesses, traumatic brain injuries, | | | | massage therapy. |
| developmental disabilities, and other problems that | | | | It may be time to consider choosing an adult day |
| increase their care needs. Some adult day care | | | | program when someone you know appears |
| centers are dementia specific, providing services | | | | unable to provide himself or herself with any |
| exclusively to that population. Other centers serve | | | | structure for daily activities, is isolated from |
| the broader population. | | | | others for more than a few hours a day and |
| One difference between traditional adult (respite), | | | | misses companionship, cannot be safely left alone |
| both group and in-home care, and adult day care | | | | at home or lives with someone who works |
| is that adult day centers not only provide respite | | | | outside the home or needs regular time away |
| to family caregivers but also therapeutic care for | | | | from home for other reasons. |
| cognitively and physically impaired older adults. | | | | Long-Term care insurance can provide the funds |
| What are the benefits of Adult Day Care? | | | | to pay for this type of service. It is important to |
| Adult day care allows caregivers to continue | | | | keep in mind that purchasing Long-Term care |
| working outside the home, receive help with the | | | | insurance once an individual is in need of these |
| physical care of a loved one, avoid the guilt of | | | | services is impossible. It is important to put a |
| placing a loved one in institutional care, and have | | | | long-term care plan in place while you are healthy. |
| respite from what can be a "24/7" responsibility. | | | | Consult with a Long-Term Care Specialist when |
| The care receiver can also benefit from adult day | | | | choosing a policy to make sure that adult day |
| care. He or she is able to remain at home with | | | | services are covered under your plan. |
| family but does not require 24-hour care from | | | | |