The days of caregiving and hours at home can get long. Or, perhaps you can’t be with your loved one during the day due to work or other demands. An adult day program might be just the thing your loved one needs to meaningfully pass the time while still living at home.
An adult day center provides daytime care, stimulating activities, and much-needed socialization for older adults during the day. These programs can give primary caregivers a break to run errands, attend appointments, or just take some time for themselves while knowing their loved one is receiving the care and attention they need.
Access Care Louisville is one example of a day program that provides a place for older adults and adults with disabilities to receive nutritious meals, skilled nursing care, health-boosting activities, and individual care plans designed for their specific health needs. An activity coordinator is assigned to each participant to provide personalized care throughout the day. Skilled nurses, medical assistants, and certified nursing assistants are also on hand to support the needs of each participant.
While day programs are typically open five days a week during business hours, daily attendance varies for each person depending on their personal needs, according to Abby Bauer, business development manager at Access Care. She says the goal is to help people remain at home as long as possible.
Many adult day programs also offer transportation for your loved one to get to and from the facility, or to medical appointments they have. At Access Care, this service is provided for an extra fee and utilizes wheelchair-accessible vans and buses.
What’s a typical day like?
Abby says a day at Access Care starts with a morning activity, breakfast, and exercise. By midday, residents can choose from several activities around the facility and enjoy a light snack. After lunch, participants begin winding down and heading home.
Participants can choose from a wide range of activities designed to enhance cognition and encourage socialization, including board games, yoga, exercise classes, education seminars, jewelry making, sewing, and puzzles. The center also hosts birthday and holiday celebrations and offers regular field trips to add variety to the day.
Abby says bingo is the most popular activity followed by art classes, dominos, and yard games.
Serving a diverse population
A unique passion at the heart of Access Care, from its beginning, is serving those from cultures outside the U.S. For 84-year-old Abdal Amir, the day center has become a home away from home. The native of Iraq has dementia and does not speak English. But because Access Care employs immigrants and refugees from a variety of countries, they can assist and support participants without fear of a language or cultural barrier — a need that may not often be met in other services, such as health care.
For Abdal’s family, having caregivers who speak his language and understand and respect his heritage offers them peace of mind.
“Of course, we want the best care possible, and seeing how the staff at Access Care treats participants, how much they care and how well they interact with them, sold us on this as an option for my grandfather,” says Asmaa Hussein. “He calls it ‘school’ and can’t wait to go each day.”
Asmaa says Abdal attends the day program five days a week. His favorite activity is exercise class, and he loves the authentic Iraqi food he receives at meals every day. He also takes advantage of the transportation service, receiving rides to and from the facility.
According to Abby, Access Care started with a small group of Russian-speaking immigrants in 2011 and has grown over the years to accommodate other immigrant populations, catering to a variety of cultures and languages including Russian/Eastern European, Southeast Asia (China, Korea, Vietnam), Middle East (Arabic-speaking nations), and Hispanic (Cuba, Dominican Republic, Mexico, Columbia, Puerto Rico), as well as American.
When the food, the language, and the faces are all familiar, a person from a different culture can feel less isolated and may be more willing to interact with others.
The cost of care
Some adult day care programs charge by the hour, while others charge by the day or week, and costs can vary. Medicare does not pay for adult day care, but Medicaid does. Veteran’s programs, state assistance programs, and programs like PACE might also be able to provide financial assistance.
You may qualify for a Home and Community Based (HBC) waiver. Search for this waiver on chfs.ky.gov for more information and eligibility requirements. A case manager from your chosen day center can also help you navigate waiver services.
Choosing An Adult Day Program
Before enrolling your loved one in an adult day program, do your research. Check out the organization’s website, look at online reviews, and make an appointment to visit in-person with your loved one.
Questions to ask:
- What is the ratio of caregivers to participants?
- What kind of training do staff receive?
- What are the procedures for a medical emergency?
- Do they provide individualized care plans?
- Will caregivers help with toileting, medication, eating?
- Do they provide meals and snacks? If so, are dietary restrictions considered?
- What activities are provided?
- Do participants help decide what activities are offered?
- What is the policy for late arrival or pick-up?
- Do they provide transportation to daytime appointments such as to the doctor, dentist, hairstylist?
Ask for referrals. What do other families and current participants think of the program?
Make sure you choose a program that is licensed, certified, or accredited.
Watch for red flags including high staff turnover, a facility that isn’t very clean, a minimal variety of activities provided, disinterested or disengaged staff, and lacking safety and security measures.
Most importantly, consider if this is somewhere your loved one would like to spend their days and whether you feel comfortable leaving them there.
By Kym Voorhees Raque | Photos from @accesscareadhc
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