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How To Choose Adult Day Care
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Business New Haven
11/12/2001
By: Sheila A. LaSella
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We have heard it countless times by now: As the baby boomers are greying there is a growing population of older adults. While old age, sickness and death are rarely favorite subjects to contemplate, thoughtful decisions about the senior years can ease anxieties and bring peace of mind.
The health-care industry has developed a variety of ways to assist those in their golden years. One of these methods is the adult day-care center, which offers people an opportunity to maintain a certain amount of independence while benefiting from professional health care during the day. They are designed to assist those adults who are physically or cognitively impaired and need supervision and care with daily living activities.
Adult day centers are non-residential programs that offer supervised activities, socializing, exercise, meals and personal care. The centers are for those individuals who need more supervision than a senior citizens center, but less than an assisted-living facility or nursing home. Within this category of adult day care are the social model and the medical model.
The social model may have nurses available to help with medications, but it is not a requirement. These facilities are more geared toward socialization to help prevent isolation and depression. The medical model is required to have nurses available for 50 percent of the day and also provides social activities. If you need more of a monitoring environment and a nurse to help with medication or oversee diet then you will need the medical model.
The first priority in deciding upon a center is to assess the client's needs. What is his or her physical and mental state? Does the person need a social or medical model? Secondly, a visit to the center will provide information on whether the physical environment, the staff and the services meet the person's needs and will enhance well-being.
The center should be inviting, clean and well-cared-for. The space should not have a sterile, hospital-like feel, but rather a homey, cheerful environment where one can feel comfortable and relaxed, as in one's own home. The point is to continue life with as normal an existence as possible while receiving attention from qualified staff.
If you have specific preferences, such as a garden, outdoor walking areas or plenty of natural indoor light, it is important to be patient and look for a center that will meet these needs. If the decision is hurried you will be wasting your money, your time and your peace of mind.
State requirements for adult day-care centers are a one-to-seven staff/client ratio, although many centers offer a one-to-five ratio. A typical staff includes registered nurses (medical model only), certified nursing assistants and recreation coordinators. One must examine the caliber of the staff and ask if the recreation staff has training in therapeutic recreational activities, for example.
There is also a peer-review certification for adult day-care facilities which utilizes regulations established by the Connecticut Association of Adult Day-Care Centers (CADC) in conjunction with Department of Social Services. You will want to know if a center is peer review-certified (there are one-, two- and three-year certifications).
Perhaps the essence of evaluating a center is to assess the activities and services. The activities offered will become an integral part of daily life, so you must be satisfied with this aspect of adult day care. Ask to see the center's monthly activity calendar to examine diversity. If the activities are the same day in and day out, it won't be stimulating. Look for a variety of activities that are both physically and cognitively stimulating. Some centers have the capacity to run more than one activity at a time catering to the differing interests and abilities of clients.
Daily activities may include: mind and body exercises, arts and crafts, holiday-themed activities, current events, music, movies, community trips and creative art therapy. Additional services offered are door-to-door transportation, counseling and family support, life-skills training and escort service to appointments. If the center is affiliated with a nursing home, clients can access additional services such as podiatry, dental clinics, ophthalmology and hairdressing.
The average daily cost for adult day care is between $50 and $60 and is covered only by long-term care insurance (not by Medicare). There is a Homecare for Elders program if one meets certain income and asset requirements. This program will cover the cost of the entire stay in a center.
There is also the Respite Program through a grant administered by area Agencies on Aging throughout the state. This provides one or two days of respite for caregivers if the client has dementia.
To locate an adult day-care center in your community call the Connecticut Association of Adult Day-Care Centers at 203-379-4437. You can contact your local Alzheimer's Association or Office on Aging. Also, check with local community, religious and civic organizations, state departments of health, visiting nurse organizations and hospital discharge-planners.
The Elderly Services Division of the Department of Social Services manages funds on social, health, educational, cultural and nutritional programs to assist seniors and may offer additional assistance in your search for a day-care center.
Although dealing with aging and sickness can be challenging on many levels, there are now more options than ever available to older adults. There are more than 50 adult day-care centers in Connecticut that can help you or a family member live comfortably during the later years of life.
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