written by Robert Phillips of S.A.R.A.H. and a featured Ask the ExpertMany people, new to the situation of having to care for an elderly family member, are unaware that there are a number of resources available to assist them with this new responsibility.
One option, around for over twenty years that also provides the family with some personal time while their loved one is being professionally cared for, is adult day services.
What are Day Services?
Sometimes referred to as day care, ADS are community based facilities designed to meet the needs of senior and their families.These structured comprehensive programs provide a variety of health, social and related support services in a protective setting conducive to building (or re-building) an individuals confidence and self esteem.
Day Services Centers operate during normal daytime hours, Monday through Friday, and individuals who participate in an adult day facility attend on a planned basis Center are typically open 7:00AM to 6:00PM with a participant arriving and departing at the times that best suit their needs and that of their family.
Who uses Day Services Center?
Senior Day Centers are designed to serve seniors who require an environment that provides supervision, increased social opportunities, the dispensing of medications and assistance with their 'activities of daily living' including incontinence care.Attending Day Services facilities allow the participant to remain in the community, enabling their families / caregivers to continue caring for them at home.
Services provided by a Senior Day Center include personal care, group activities, range of motion exercises, social activities, nursing services, caregiver support and a nutritious lunch.
What criteria should be used when selecting a Senior Day Services Center?
A quality Center offers the following- a professional, caring staff that fosters an atmosphere in which the participant is treated as family
- 'plan of care' development with regular monitoring of progress
- an active daytime program that motivates and encourages participation
- a facility that is very 'home-like' with a number of separate areas for its participants
- complete bathroom assistance
- continual interaction with the family / caregivers
- ongoing support to the family in their effort to keep the senior at home
How does Day Services compare to home health care?
When newly thrust into having to care for an elderly family member, all too often the typical suggestion offered is to utilize home health care as an option for the family caring for an older person.
For seniors that are still able to participate, even with a wheelchair or walker, home health care does not provide them the opportunity to increase their confidence and self esteem through outside contact.
Equally, if not more important, the family is not provided with the personal time so necessary to handle their day to day tasks . . . or the time to just relax and re-energize themselves.
Factors to consider when deciding on what resource is best in helping keep an elderly family member at home:
time away from their usual surroundings socialization with others stimulation through participation health related care provided by nursing professionals personal time for the family / caregiversIn all cases, Adult Day Services offers the necessary assistance to ensure the best possible care is being provided the senior, and you. With a typical day at a Day Services Center of six to eight hours (as compared to a typical home health care visit of three hours), not only is the participant benefiting from socializing outside of the home but the family is able to handle work commitments or enjoy some personal time without worrying about who is in their home or having to be there during the aide's visit.
And from an expense perspective, three hours of home health care is more costly than a full day at a Center.
Sharing Your Goals
The goal of Senior Day Services mirrors that of the family: to keep the senior adult at home, in their community, and with them. To be sure, making the decision to have a senior family member attend a Center is a new and difficult one. All decisions are.Remember, though, outside stimulation contributes to a senior's overall health and quality of life. And without participation in an active daytime program, one that motivates and stimulates the participant, the truly life changing decision may come about more quickly . . . the decision regarding nursing home placement.
Adult Day Services truly assist the family in keeping their loved one at home.
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