Generally, adult day care centers are well-designed for older people who need assistance with activities of everyday living or who are isolated and lonely. Simultaneously, the centers offer caregivers a break from continuous care and provide peace of mind that their loved ones are in good and safe hands. However, there are different levels of adult care that caters to seniors’ certain needs. So, you should know the type of adult day care before choosing one for your loved one.
Three Major Adult Day Care Options
- Social Day Care: These types of adult day care centers mainly focus on refining senior’s lives through a pleasant social community and activities that build on everyone’s skills, knowledge and special capabilities. Furthermore, daily activities generally are:
- Musical entertainment and group sing-a-longs
- Events related to festivals and birthday celebrations
- Creative expression through arts and crafts
- Small group discussions on books, series, movies or current happenings
- Little stretching and gentle workout such as chair yoga.
- Local outings to nearby places
- Mental stimulation games such as bingo, chess, etc.
Apart from recreational activities, most programs offer medical transportation to and from the center and social services such as counseling and support groups for caregivers, along with health support services like blood pressure monitoring and vision screening.
- Adult Day Health Care: Such types of facilities normally use the terms Adult Day Health Care (ADHC) because they offer medical services and physical, occupational along with speech therapy to senior individuals. They are generally staffed with an RN and various other health experts. Moreover, it’s a common practice for the program to need a health assessment by a reliable physician before admission.
Some ADH centers offer frail adults undergoing mental, physical and social problems connected with isolation, stroke, confusion or other conditions with the chance to meet new people, involve themselves in activities and enjoy everyday life in a comfortable environment. Besides offering medical and supportive services, these programs offer the overall continuum of care and services to seniors with chronic care needs.
- Alzheimer’s & Dementia Day Care: Typically, such programs offer both social and health services, particularly for seniors with cognitive troubles. In such settings, relevant activities for the participants’ engaging abilities are offered in a secure environment to prevent wandering and the staff has well-versed training in dementia care.
Hence, ensure to visit the centers in person to know the social atmosphere, environment and staff interactions with the participants to know which type of adult care is suitable for your loved one.