An adult day care center that has emergency procedures in place is a good option for an elderly adult who is alert to slightly disabled but has no caregiver during the day and requires some assistance. This option is available at a time when the aging population is increasing and living longer.
Who Should Be in Adult Day Care? Even though retirement ranges between 55 and 75, more seniors are still able to cope or are still productive either as volunteers or in an earning capacity. Some have gone back to school to learn new skills to pursue better paying jobs. These lucky few do not need the services of an adult day care center. Adult day care is comprised of two types of service. The first type is “social day care” which provides meals, social activities, recreation, and some health related services. For those who have more medical needs there is the second type that provides intensive “therapeutic day care” services. Social services are still provided, but this type of adult day care is designed for those with more medical needs. Adult day care is typically more affordable than private at-home care. These centers are usually open Monday to Friday. Working family members can drop off their loved one at the adult day care center in the morning and pick them up after work. The following are some criteria for those needing adult day care:
* Need therapy or some emotional support
* Have some physical disabilities or limitations
* Live alone and can not cope with daily tasks
* Have family members working during the day
* Need companionship and stimulating activities
These services are not limited to catering to physical and health needs. In adult day care centers, seniors learn new things and may be given other opportunities. Studies have shown that seniors who have productive lives and financial independence live longer and are happier lived.
But, ultimately, there may come a time when we must help a loved one move to a skilled nursing home. For example, if your loved one starts falling down often, develops bed sores, wanders far away, and/or shows increasing signs of serious forgetfulness—like leaving the stove burners on overnight, she might be better cared for in a skilled nursing home before a serious injury occurs. However difficult, it may be the most caring thing to do when we are unable to provide the care and comfort needed. In this setting, she is bound to be more safe and more comfortable. Also, she can interact with people her own age and spend her golden years in relative peace. “When additional and special care is needed, skilled nursing homes are options for people whose families can not fully care for them for various reasons. And when you choose a skilled nursing home for your loved one, you should with the utmost care,” says John E. Kasarda, Administrator of Little Brook Nursing Home.
What to Look for in an Adult Day Care Center. Before enrolling your loved one in an adult day care center, talk with your doctors, relatives, friends and parishioners. They can recommend a place that is licensed, highly regarded and staffed with trained caregivers, nurses, and therapists who can respond quickly to a medical emergency. Not all adult day care centers for seniors are licensed so it is important to visit and learn what certifications they have on file. Also, the longer the establishment has been in business, the better.
As we age, the risk increases for an accident even if we are careful and healthy. “Unfortunately, not all of the care we will need can be provided in a hospital, rehab facility or adult day care center. Some of us will need to go to a skilled nursing home,” says Mr. Kasarda. “A skilled nursing home can coordinate and tailor the care your loved one requires for their unique and changing needs; the staff will monitor their vital signs, manage their medications, provide physical therapy and restorative nursing programs, and help toilet, bathe, clothe and feed your loved one,” he says.
Moving from an adult day care situation to a skilled nursing home is not easy, especially as it involves evaluating many places. Adult day care centers serve the needs of our seniors to a limit. BUT, when our loved one’s needs increase and the daily fees start rapidly escalating be sure to get the best, comprehensive care for the cost, and get it sooner than later. Seniors have enjoyed long lives and some will need a skilled nursing home to attend to their needs. These needs require unique, specialized assistance: assistance that only certified professionals—a nurse, an aide, a physical therapist, a dietary chef and a geriatric physician—can provide. It is very important that you see staff professionals working together to provide your loved one’s care. Ask friends, parishioners, doctors and neighbors for referrals if they have had good experiences in a place near by and visit these homes as soon as possible and make that change! “A senior’s golden years should be about living in peace, happiness, dignity, comfort, safety and good health. Your loved one deserves excellent and comprehensive skilled nursing care,” says Mr. Kasarda.
Editor: Dr. JP Hampilos of Senior Care Focus, LBHI; Adapted from an article by Vikram Kumar entitled “Adult Day Care for the People You Love,” Source: www.articlesbase.com, with excerpts from an interview with John E. Kasarda, Administrator, Little Brook Nursing and Convalescent Home
Senior Care Focus, Issue No. 19, Summer 2015