A Guide to Selecting the Appropriate Places for Your Seinor’s Day Care Experience
Like all of us, every senior is unique. They have their own medical challenges, disposition and opinions. Some can manage their own “Activities of Daily Living” while others need some assistance or cueing reminders. Some enjoy social time with others while others prefer to be left alone. And some have easy recall of past events and others have challenges from dementia.
The most insightful and accurate knowledge of the senior will come from the family providing care to them. An appropriate selection of a day care provider must rely heavily on the care givers understanding of their senior’s needs. The following guide is to help care givers decide if their senior will benefit from the adult day care experience and which type of community will be the best equipped to meet your expectations.
Benefits of Adult Day Care
By going to adult of senior day care, older adults can overcome a host of age-related issues, including depression, loneliness, fatigue, and loss of brain function. Seniors can socialize, learn, move, and experience daily routines under the guidance of professional care givers. At the same time, family members who are responsible for seniors can enjoy a respite period. This is necessary for preventing care giver burnout. Adult day care provides just enough interaction and stimulation in a controlled environment without forcing seniors to experience a complete upheaval from their home setting.
Adult Social Day Care- Assisted Living
Adult social day care using the Assisted Living communities is for older adults who are reasonably healthy. It provides a safe and structured environment that weaves gentle exercise and brain games into a highly social setting. These communities usually offer a basic level of health services, such as medication monitoring. They are generally equipped to handle wheelchairs, walkers, and other medical devices, but they do not provide extensive medical services.
Adult Day Care- Memory Care
Adult social day care using a Memory Care community is for seniors with more intensive health care needs. These communities cater to older adults coping with physical disabilities, some level of dementia, and the after-effects of conditions such as a stroke. The communities are designed to be more secure and have a higher number of staff to day guest. They are generally staffed with more nurses and other health professionals.
Please note that the word “Social” is used in relating to the senior using either the Assisted Living or the Memory Care option provided on this site. Sadly, not all seniors are a good fit for day care. The judgment call that you as a care giver must make is focused on the social and medial aspects of your senior. Are they disruptive, aggressive, or strike out at others or engage in other anti-social behaviors. If so, they will not be well-served in either of the types of communities featured on this site. If they
have closely required medical monitoring of their prescriptions or injections, their medical requirements may not be able to be addressed.
If you are left with some doubt, please contact the day care provider you would like to use, discuss your concerns and ask them if they can manage your requirements for the safety of your senior.