What to Consider When Looking for Adult Day Care
According to researchers, by 2029, 7.8 million Americans over 75 and up won’t be able to afford residential, skilled care but will make too much to qualify for Medicaid. The estimated cost of assisted living and medical needs at this time would be $62,000 per person annually.
The aging baby boomer generation puts increased pressure on the senior living market, and many argue that the U.S. is not prepared to handle it. For these reasons, more and more families are looking for home care and adult day care options.
These two industries are anticipated to see a lot of growth in the coming years as assistive technology allows older adults to age in place longer. Adult day services, in particular, provide much-needed daytime support for independent seniors and family caregivers holding a job or needing respite.
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What Is Adult Day Care?
Adult daycare centers are devoted to maximizing the quality of life for seniors in their surrounding community. They provide an alternative to nursing homes by offering daytime programming in a safe, home-like environment. Adult daycare centers tend to have various social, medical, and wellbeing services and are equipped with professionally trained direct support staff.
How Do You Choose An Adult Day Care Center?
Here are a few things to consider when looking for an adult daycare center.
The Sooner, The Better
Seniors who start attending a center when they can fully participate in activities and enjoy the company tend to do better than those who start after a significant health setback. When needs or abilities suddenly change, spending days somewhere new can add to overwhelming emotions.
Therefore, there is a great benefit to already being comfortable with a center and the people there as one’s health declines. When someone begins to find it difficult to structure their day, is becoming socially isolated, or cannot be left home alone safely, it is a good time to suggest finding an adult daycare service.
Write Down The Particular Needs Of Your Loved One
As you search for the right service for your loved one, it is helpful to compile a list of their particular needs and desires (and yours!). This will aid in narrowing down your options and help determine the best fit.
You may want to consider questions like: Does the center provide health monitoring or specialized care? Do they cater to a specialized diet? Is there fitness programming? Will there be transportation services available? Is there flexibility in the days or hours of coverage?
Plan To Visit A Few Centers
Let your loved one get a feel for a few places to see if there is one they get particularly excited about or are most comfortable with. You can search the National Adult Day Services Association’s (NADSA) website to locate adult day care services near you.
Look into your options, check out online reviews, and contact promising centers to set up an appointment. NADSA even provides a checklist of questions to ask on your visit.
Ask About The Technology A Center Uses
Ask if the center uses any adult day care software or assistive technologies in their care processes. Software providers like StoriiCare offer a family app so that you can get live notifications of your loved one’s activity participation, view community announcements and schedules, see photos from their day, and message staff directly about updates or concerns. This will give you peace of mind as you transition your loved one into daycare and show that an adult daycare center is progressive in providing person-centered care.
