The National Adult Day Services Association (NASDA) was formed in 1979. (National Adult Day Services Association, 2012). There are three types of adult day centers. These are social, medical/health and specialized. The social day care center provides meals, recreation and some health-related services. The medical/health adult day cares consist of social activities, health services and also therapeutic services. Specialized adult day cares consist of services that are tailored to the needs of the patients, for example, patients suffering from dementia or other forms of developmental disabilities. Families, relatives or caregivers, usually select a center for their loved-ones based on the care that they need.
Adult day centers hire professionals that are equipped and capable of providing care to the elderly. There services are well coordinated and are usually provided in a community-based group setting. These services are all aimed at providing the best of supervised care in a safe environment.
These centers are usually open five days a week and some centers even offers services after normal business hours and also on the weekends. Some of the services that are offered includes: social activities (such as peer-interactions), transportation, meals and snacks (these are catered also for individuals who requires special dietary meals), personal care (assists with toileting, eating and dressing), and therapeutic activities (exercises).
Currently, there are 4,600 adult day centers in the United States, providing care for over 150,000 recipients (NADSA, 2012). Putting a loved one in a day center gives the caregiver a well deserved break, or perhaps time to work. However, caution should still be exercised when choosing a center for them. It is important to choose a center that is safe and secure, has activities that promotes mental enhancement, provides assistance such as bathing, grooming, giving medications on time, taking blood pressure and providing a diet that is nutritious. An elderly can seek care from an adult center after being discharge from a hospital; it also serves as a form of short term rehabilitation.
These centers are very unique. It gives the elderly a change to mingle with others, just like themselves and get out of the house for a bit, while extending a break to their caregivers. The quality of care is up to standards, as it provides reliable support and restore one’s balance in times of need.
Reference
National Adult Day Services Association. (2012). The National Voice for Adult Day Service Community. Retrieved from www.nadsa.org/consumers/overview-and-facts & www.nadsa.org/consumers/choosing-a-center