What to Look For in an Adult Day Care
As technological advancements take place and the world becomes more globalized, people are getting busier with their lives. In such a world, it gets difficult to look after our aging parents and family members especially if you are someone who has to attend to a full time job. Adult day care is a good option for those who have to care for an aging family member as well as attend to a job. Adult day care comes in different varieties. Some adult day cares offer social and recreational activities only while others also offer medical help. There is also another type of daycare that offers help to specific medical conditions such as Alzheimer disease.
What is adult day care?
Adult day care centers offer care to adults during the day time of business days. These centers are specialized to look after older adults a few hours a day. They offer recreational and social activities to older adults who tend to be isolated due to their family members being away for work purposes. Adult day care is a better option than nursing homes because they are less costly, offer social support and adults can also enjoy family time at night therefore, saving from the guilt of nursing homes as well as offering peace of mind to old adults.
Choosing the right kind of adult day care can be stressful as the health and well-being of your loved ones is dependent on it. This article will provide you with a set of guidelines to look for in an adult day care before signing up for one.
1.Services available
The foremost important thing to look for in an adult day care is the services they offer. It’s important to know if the day care is offering those services that your loved one requires. Hence, you should search for the services and make a checklist of those services that you want from the daycare before reaching out to one.
2.Day care costs and hours
Next important thing is to calculate the working hours and cost of the day care. Long term insurances often cover day care costs. But you need to confirm before signing up for a daycare. Costs of a daycare vary with the working hours as well as types of services they offer. Some centers also offer scholarships and reduced rates for families with financial needs.
3.Daily activities
It is also important to look after the daily activities the day care is offering. Research on the types of activities and seek out a center that offers activities that your loved ones will genuinely enjoy. Daycare centers can offer activities like monthly trips, social work, games, musical classes, physical activities and outdoor activities. Therefore, you need to sign up for such day care which deems fit with the overall wellbeing of your loved one.
4.Kind of foods and level of care
Monitoring and inquiring about the food that the center is offering is also important. Old adults require extra care and need to be more careful with their intake as their bodies are sensitive to different food products due to weakened immunity. Therefore, you need to make sure that healthy food is given to them and the specificities regarding their food intakes are being met at the daycare.
5.Transportation
Another factor is transportation. Signing up for a daycare that is nearby would be of a great help to you to drop your loved one to the center. Moreover, some daycares offer help with commute and transportation which can save your time for work.
6.Mental and emotional wellbeing
Choosing the right center means choosing a center that improves the overall mental and emotional wellbeing of your loved one. Thus, the environment, the staff attitude, food, hygiene, credentials and staff to client ratio should be kept in mind before signing up for an adult daycare center.
Choosing the right adult daycare center can make a huge difference in the lives of the family as well as the adult that needs to be cared for. A good day care center can share the responsibility of looking after an aged, abnormal or special adult family member if necessary steps are taken to ensure that you are choosing the right center for your loved one. The above mentioned considerations can help you eliminate the doubt of entrusting the responsibility of your loved one to a non-qualifying day care center and help you choose a center that makes sure your loved one’s needs are met.