If you are a caregiver and are caring for a disabled or elderly loved one, it is a difficult task. There may come a time when you are unsure how you will be able to work and care for your loved one. Sadly many families make the decision to leave work which can land them in a deep financial crisis. Still others face a rift between a significant other and themselves due to the strain of caring for someone. If the person you are caring for is a significant other, it can be even more devastating.
Adult Day Care Centers
Food Choices and Diets in Adult Day Care
Friday, May 4th, 2012, Adult Day Care Centers, Adult Day Care Issues, Caring for Elders
In most health care settings diet choices are limited. This does not mean that your loved one will be subject to foods that they cannot eat due to allergies or diet restriction. Almost all facilities have a budget and strive to stay within it while at the same time providing the most nutritious choices possible.
Community Centers or Adult Day Care?
Friday, April 27th, 2012, Adult Day Care Centers
There are many opportunities for seniors and those who are disabled to retain some of their independence as well as have a thriving social life. Two of these options are adult day care facilities and community centers.
By definition, a community center is a meeting place for the people of the community to gather for social or recreational purposes. These centers often offer structured recreation, such as gaming (think BINGO) and even entertainment such as movies. Community centers are a great place to meet new people and make friends. They are also great places to get in touch with your community and to be aware of all the things happening in your neighborhood.
This type of a setting is not necessarily ideal for those who have cognitive impairments or who need a lot of specialized medical attention, unless they are able to have an aide with them at all times. However, those with a little more flexibility will probably thrive in this environment. Most larger cities have community centers with longer hours while rural community hours will usually be shorter. Sometimes smaller cities and towns’ centers will only be open a few days a week, however they do sometimes have night and weekend events. Make sure to check their event schedules.
Adult day care facilities evolved pretty much to give full time at home care givers a break. An adult day care facility works pretty much the same way as a community center, but more attention is devoted to medical care and social services. There are usually structured activities, often involving some type of educational program. Adult day cares usually run Monday through Friday during regular business hours. Adult day care centers are also handicapped accessible and have medical staff on site. In addition to activities such as music therapy and arts and crafts, these facilities sometimes have field trips in to the community. Adult day care facilities are a wonderful place for people to regain their sense of independence as well as socializing and even learning a thing or two.
To decide which is best for you or your loved one, first consider your needs. Do you or your loved one need a more structured environment? Are you looking more for recreation and social activities than specialized programs? Are on-site medical care and/or social services important? What type of hours do you need for the facility you choose to be available?
Adult Day Care Activities
Friday, April 20th, 2012, Adult Day Care Centers
Adult day care is relatively new in the health care industry, and some people do not fully understand what these facilities offer. Though activities will vary according to the facility, there can be many enjoyable, entertaining and educational things to do at an adult day care facility.
One of the things that is often offered is music therapy. Often presented as a sing-along, music therapy is a fantastic tool for raising spirits. Often the activity leader will choose music based on a specific theme and then encourage the clients to discuss it. One thing that does brighten a senior’s day is having a group of children in to sing for them, which is fairly common around holidays.
Speaking of children, some facilities have activities that specifically include them. Some that offer day trips even go into local schools to visit children, sometimes reading books to them or sharing their own experiences.
Arts and crafts are always popular occupying the clients’ time while encouraging their creativity. Some facilities have woodworking activities where clients can build and decorate items such as bird houses. Painting is often offered, and other creative projects like scrapbooking and jewelry making are often available as well.
One thing that a lot of clients appreciate is a good discussion group. Be it books, movies or current events, it seems there is always something to talk about. Some facilities encourage book clubs and some even have outings to the theater. If you are lucky enough to have a local author, he or she may be asked to visit the facility for a chat about their work. Current events are always a popular topic for discussion, there is always something interesting or noteworthy happening. These types of discussions keep clients in touch with the world around them as well as helping them make new friends in the facility.
Most facilities offer some type of gaming, such as BINGO, and one of the more popular group games for seniors is Trivial Pursuit. Card games are always a fun way to stay active and make friends as well. Any game that is mentally stimulating is welcome, especially one that encourages interaction between clients.
Educational activities are also often offered by adult day care facilities. Some participants love taking gardening classes or learning about the history of their communities. Some facilities have guest speakers that visit to talk about a wide range of subjects from local history to community events.
Not For Profit Requirements May Cause Problems For California Patients
Friday, April 13th, 2012, Adult Day Care Centers, Adult Day Care News
Just recently California has begun to streamline laws concerning Medicaid or Medi-Cal (the name of CA’s Medicaid program). Around the entire country there are cuts and new regulations that are being hailed as new ways to save taxpayers millions. But could the new regulation that places stipulations on adult day health care centers actually hurt clients by reducing the number of facilities they can turn to?
Adult Day Care Helps To Preserve Independence
Friday, April 6th, 2012, Adult Day Care Centers, Adult Day Care Issues
Even though great strides have been made to improve the quality of nursing home care, the fact remains that taking up residency in one of them is something many people fear. Many worry that a nursing home is a last resort and that they will lose their individuality and their independence. Still others choose to move into a nursing home so as not to burden their family members with the constant care that they will require.
One option, that some do have available to them, is adult day care. With many facilities offering day long programs, the participants’ loved ones have several hours during the day to themselves and the clients themselves have a chance to do something constructive as well as enjoying the social aspect that adult day care affords them.
Adult day care can be instrumental in helping to preserve the independence of someone who is elderly or disabled. It is time that they can have to themselves, something that they can do on their own. They often have control over choosing the activities that they participate in, and sometimes even have a say in other activities that occur outside the facility. By being able to exercise their freedom of choice, they are able to contribute to their own well being. This is an important factor in rehabilitation or recovery, especially when applied to mental health aspects.
Adult day care not only helps preserve independence, it can also improve patient and care giver relationships. These can often be strained due to the stress of the situation, and can be a major reason why people move into nursing homes in the first place. Care givers, especially seniors caring for their spouses, are often overwhelmed by the sheer amount of work they face to care for their loved ones. With medicine schedules, physical exertions such as having to lift their loved ones and constantly having to meet their needs, care givers often find themselves unable to handle the day to day demands. Adult day care relieves them of their duties for several hours a day, allowing them to take care of their own needs and take some time for themselves.
Adult day care is also a good deal less expensive than in home medical care. Finances are often a big reason for a move into a nursing home and relieving some of the financial stress is instrumental in keeping people at home.
Illegal Adult Day Care Facilities
Friday, March 30th, 2012, Adult Day Care Centers, Adult Day Care Issues
Starting An Adult Day Care
Friday, March 23rd, 2012, Adult Day Care Centers
Adult day care is not only a wonderful social and rehabilitative outlet for seniors and the disabled; it can also be a very profitable business venture. There are several things you should consider, though, before deciding to establish one of your own. Though the start-up process will most likely not be inexpensive, you should receive a great return on your investment, and you will be rewarded with all of the people you help.
Transitioning Your Loved One to Adult Day Care
Friday, March 16th, 2012, Adult Day Care Centers, Caregiving Tips
Change is rarely easy, especially for the elderly and the disabled. Some require a certain structure that gives them a sense of stability. Adult day care is an option for a lot of people and can help with stress and give the participants a sense of community and independence. It also alleviates the strain placed on care givers that continually devote themselves to the care of their loved ones. How can you successfully transition your loved one into an adult day care facility without endangering that sense of structure?
The Cost of Adult Day Care
Friday, March 2nd, 2012, Adult Day Care Centers, Adult Day Care Issues
Adult day care is becoming more and more popular as a way to help seniors and the disabled get back into the community and stay active. Though these services are rarely free, they are a cost-effective replacement for certain other types of care. It’s no secret that any medical service is expensive these days, but did you know that you can actually save money by utilizing adult day care for your senior or other disabled relative?
Alzheimer Cafe in Halfmoon Bay, CA
Friday, February 24th, 2012, Adult Day Care Centers, Adult Day Care News
Volunteers Honor MLK At Jacksonville, FL Adult Day Care Center
Friday, February 17th, 2012, Adult Day Care Centers, Adult Day Care News
Dr. Martin Luther King Jr’s Day of Service was January 16, 2012. This year volunteers in Jacksonville, FL paid honor to the slain civil rights leader by helping create a new garden for the Peaches In A Basket adult day care center. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr spent years trying to bring people of all walks of life together in service to each other, the Day of Service continues that tradition.
Dual License Centers: The New Adult Day Care Option
Friday, February 10th, 2012, Adult Day Care Centers, Adult Day Care News
While adult day care offers an option for people that do not have the ability to safely care for themselves, at home during the day, adult day health care provides medical based care for people not in assisted living or nursing homes. Most facilities of this nature offer one service or the other.
Misconceptions About Adult Day Care
Friday, January 20th, 2012, Adult Day Care Centers
Although adult day care has seen a popularity boost, over the last decade, as more seniors and disabled people are striving for a more independent and full lifestyle, many people are not aware that the option exists. Some also harbor misconceptions about what adult day care really is although it has come to mean many things to many people. Adult day care is becoming the norm rather than the exception when it comes to social and rehabilitative care for seniors and the disabled, and with good reason.
Some people automatically think of screaming children running around using finger paint on furniture and each other when they hear the word day care, but what originally began as a way to give full time caregivers free time of their own has grown into a much anticipated daily or weekly social activity for many seniors and disabled people. Many adult day care programs are created by municipalities with careful planning from social services and medical consultants and include a wide variety of programs and services.
New National Report on Adult Day Care Costs
Wednesday, January 11th, 2012, Adult Day Care Centers, Adult Day Care Issues, Adult Day Care News, Senior Citizen Issues
Every year since 2004 Genworth Financial releases a study on the Cost of Long Term Care Comparisons. The 2010 report was recently conducted by CareScout and published as one of the most comprehensive adult day care and long-term care cost reports. The data was collected from more than 13,000 facilities across the United States.
How Health Care Reform Will Affect Adult Day Care
Wednesday, January 4th, 2012, Adult Day Care Centers, Adult Day Care News, Medicare and Medicaid, Senior Citizen Issues
Medicaid Cuts for Adult Day Care Services
What does it mean for a center to be licensed?
Wednesday, November 23rd, 2011, Adult Day Care Centers, Adult Day Care Issues
As with nursing homes and assisted living facilities, there is a need for adult day care centers to be licensed. Licensing requirements help safeguard adult day care participants. Licensing is handled at the state level, so the specific conditions for licensing vary depending on the location of the facility.
How is an Adult Day Center Typically Staffed?
Wednesday, November 16th, 2011, Adult Day Care Centers, Caring for Elders, Senior Care Staff
The positions staffed in adult day care centers differ depending on the services offered. And even though you might not have daily contact with all of the team members at your facility, it takes all of them to make operations run smoothly.
The Need for Individualized Treatment Plans in Adult Day Care
Wednesday, November 9th, 2011, Adult Day Care Centers, Adult Day Care Issues, Caregiving Tips, Caring for Elders, Dementia Care, Senior Citizen Issues
Individualized Treatment Plans are basically master plans that outline how the patient’s care plan will be implemented. They are required in nursing homes and many assisted living facilities. They may also be used in an adult day care center, particularly when participants receive medical services at the center.
Paying for Adult Day Care Using Dependent Care Credit
Wednesday, November 2nd, 2011, Adult Day Care Centers, Adult Day Care Issues, Adult Day Care News, Medicare and Medicaid, Senior Citizen Issues
Paying for adult day care can be a challenge, as Medicare does not cover day care costs. However, Medicaid can pay all the costs in a licensed day care center with a medical model or an Alzheimer’s environment if the senior qualifies financially. Some day care centers offer need-based scholarships. Others may use a sliding fee scale based on income. Private medical insurance policies sometimes cover a portion of day care costs when registered, licensed medical personnel are involved in the care. Long-term care insurance may also pay for adult day services, depending upon the policy.
How Adult Day Care Can Improve Seniors’ Health
Wednesday, October 26th, 2011, Adult Day Care Centers, Adult Day Care Issues, Caregiving Tips, Caring for Elders, Senior Citizen Issues
Getting older can be hazardous to one’s health. According to the National Center on Aging, 133 million Americans have a chronic condition like heart disease, arthritis, diabetes, or cancer. Every 35 minutes, an older adult dies from a fall. One in five older adults is caught in the grips of depression, anxiety, or substance abuse. The good news is that many of those concerns can be addressed in effective adult day care programs.
Finding Family Support Groups through Adult Day Care
Wednesday, October 12th, 2011, Adult Day Care Centers, Adult Day Care Issues, Caring for Elders
One of the best resources many adult day centers have often goes relative untapped – family support groups. Many adult day care providers offer regular group meetings for families whose loved ones are participants in the day care program.
Adult Day Care Programs for Diverse Cultures
Wednesday, October 5th, 2011, Adult Day Care Centers, Adult Day Care Issues, Adult Day Care News, Senior Care Staff, Senior Citizen Issues
Many seniors who do not speak English as their primary language may feel even more isolated in English-speaking adult day care centers. In an attempt to meet the needs of diverse groups, many communities in urban areas are offering day care programs specifically for particular cultural groups.
Adult Day Care Centers Grow 35%, Since 2002
Wednesday, September 21st, 2011, Adult Day Care Centers, Adult Day Care Issues, Adult Day Care News, Caring for Elders, Senior Citizen Issues
All over the United States, aging adults and their families are seeking out adult day care centers to help them meet a number of needs related to aging. Community-based solutions are rapidly evolving as the nation’s aging population seeks to find needed care while working to make sure seniors are able to live independently for as long as possible. Adult day services help family caregivers, particularly those with full-time jobs and a number of other family obligations.
