It’s a question that you ponder about when you are taking care of your loved ones. Adult day care seems scary and also seems like it is a step above putting someone into a nursing home. This is not the case, however; it can be relieving to both the caretaker and the loved one to have a program to assist families with this transition.

Similar to child day care, adult day care is a type of program that looks after an adult while caretakers are out at work, completing errands, or other tasks. There are many programs that fulfill this basic function but there are different types of programs that provide specific types of care to the adult who needs them.

What are the Benefits of Adult Day Care?

Research is increasing that adult day care is an option that provides the perfect blend of mental and physical activity to clients who need supervision during the daytime hours. For some clients, it can bring the best of both care situations: living at home while also receiving the medical attention they need throughout the day without interrupting family life. Adult day care is an option that gives some relief to both clients and their families since they know that the client is safe with professional staff and allows the family members to stave off caretaker stress.

Programs hosted at adult day centers also give the benefit of a guaranteed routine for the client, allowing your loved one to feel more at ease while completing this major life transition. Senior depression is more common than most people anticipate, which can go hand in hand with caregiver fatigue. Adult day care is a resource that is a win-win for everyone; it gives seniors some much needed social time, and caregivers some worry-free time off.

What Does an Adult Day Care Program Look Like?

Adult day care centers can have programs that vary but they all share the same goal: consistency. A typical schedule can look like this:

• 8 AM to 9 AM – Breakfast
• 9 AM to 10 AM – Discussions (can be political or religious in nature, confirm with the program ahead of time to find the right fit for your loved ones)
• 10 AM-12 PM – Planned activities
• 12 PM-1 PM – Lunch
• 1 PM- 2 PM – Resting Period
• 2 PM-3:30 PM – Planned activities
• 3:30 PM-5 PM- Games and Puzzles
• 5 PM – Pickup

The kinds of programming can, again, differ from center to center. Some centers might have a partnership with a local child care center, creating activities that enrich both the seniors and the children. Some centers allow seniors to complete some household chores like cooking and gardening, which can bring back not only their sense of purpose, but might help them regain some strength to complete some activities with greater independence.

What are the Types of Adult Day Care?

There are different types of adult day care: senior care and adult social care. While they are similar, senior care can bring more to the table depending on the need of the client and caregiver. If you ever feel lost with deciding what is right for you and your family, the local aging office has the information you need to make the right decision.

Senior Care

Senior care is adult day care focused on helping elderly people day to day at a center. This type of program gives supervision to seniors and assists families with addressing medical concerns. It also provides a layer of socialization for the seniors.

Adult Social Care

Similar to senior care, this type of adult day care is focused more on social programs that can bring adults of all ages, disabilities, and levels of need together to encourage friendship. While a family caregiver can be loving and attentive to the needs of the person, there is a need to increase the social connection outside of the home. The family provides a special kind of bond but friends can also help the family and person handle the changes in their life.

There is an increasing number of studies that indicate loneliness as a major contributor to the decline in senior health. Both of these types of adult day care programs help connect seniors to their own age group and may result in a friendship that can have health benefits for everyone.

In Conclusion: What is Adult Day Care?

Adult day care is the loving option that gives everyone the best of what they need. Seniors can find friendships and a return to activities under supervision while caregivers can conduct day-to-day tasks. It also provides a safe and supporting environment for loved ones.

Here at Williams Lifts, we provide you with the tools to make your home more comfortable for you or your loved one. Contact us today to learn more!

As caregivers for seniors know, this type of job is not a one-time thing. It can often go on for months or years at a time.

Caregivers for seniors, especially caregivers for elderly parents and caregivers for seniors with dementia, can quickly find themselves drained mentally and emotionally. It’s stressful work, to be sure, and usually, there’s no one to look after the caregiver except the caregiver themselves.

It’s important to look after your own well-being so you can continue providing care for others to the best of your ability. In this article, I will go over some advice that caregivers for seniors can use to take care of their mental and emotional well-being.

Taking Care of Caregivers for Seniors

Taking care of yourself doesn’t just mean staying physically healthy, it means staying mentally healthy as well. It’s easy to prioritize the former over the latter, or not even consider mental health a priority at all. Well, the truth is, when mental health suffers then it affects your ability to function in other areas of life.

One of the best things you can do to maintain good mental health is to be present — that means focusing on the here and now. Caregivers for seniors can often find themselves thinking about too many things at any given time.

• What has to be done today?   
• What has to be done tomorrow?   
• What has to be done next week? Next month?
• What am I doing well?   
• What am I not doing well enough?
• Am I doing all I can possibly do for this person?

There are so many things to think about that it can make your head spin. All of it is important, certainly, but let’s try narrowing it down a bit. Just as your body has a finite amount of physical energy for a single day, it has a finite amount of mental and emotional energy as well. Worrying about things too far down the road will drain the amount of mental energy you have to focus on what needs to be done today.

With that said, caregivers for seniors can do themselves a favor by directing their mental energy toward solving today’s problems. Try worrying less about what needs to be done in the future or conjuring up “what if” scenarios. The person you’re caring for is counting on you to be there for them in the moment, which starts by putting your head in the right place.

Caregivers for seniors should also get in the habit of giving themselves more credit. It’s okay to pat yourself on the back from time to time and recognize when you’ve done a good job. In fact, I encourage it. Not everything is going to go exactly right all the time, but for every little thing that goes wrong, I’m sure there are at least 50 big things you’ve done right.

Again, this goes back to being in the moment. Don’t beat yourself up about something that went wrong yesterday, stay focused on doing the best you can today. Changing your way of thinking can go a long way, and these are just a few things that can help strengthen your mental and emotional well-being.

While you’re here, please also see our guide to home modifications for seniors, which discusses resources such as stair lifts, wheelchair ramps, and power recliners.