Choosing Adult Day Care for Alzheimer’s Patients

No matter how nice and caring you are for somebody with Alzheimer’s disease, you may end up needing help. Sometimes, a friend or a family member can step in to help while you take care of other things like work or errands. However, you can seek help from adult day care centers if things get too much for you to manage.

Adult day care centers can provide a safe place for seniors to socialize, take part in activities and obtain rehabilitation services if required.   If your senior is suffering with Alzheimer’s you must make sure the center offers services for dementia care.

These centers generally are open during the daytime only.   For many these facilities are a way to obtain relief for caregivers who need to look after other things or just obtain a break from care giving.   These centers can provide the elderly with freedom, activities, nourishment in a comfortable surrounding.   Some centers not only provide daycare services but also can provide in-home care, medical supervision and more.

What are other types of services offered?

  1. Physical exercises, activity therapy, and therapy involving speech correction
  2. Offering timely meals
  3. Social activities involving community projects, music, crafts, and movies.
  4. Transportation, support and benefits regarding personal care such as eating, dressing, grooming, and bathing.
  5. Medical assistance experts and professionals of health care, along with registered therapists and nurses.

 

How to Find The Best Adult Day Care Center for Alzheimer’s Patients

Find the centers that provide adult day care near or in your locality. Ask the local churches or senior health care centers for recommendations on which adult day care facility is best near you. You can also talk to your nearby nursing homes and assisted-living centers. Find out regarding the center’s application and registration method, who they work for, and take a glance at activity calendars and sample menus.

Once you have completed some fundamental analysis, there are some parameters that you should consider:

  1. For how long have they been providing such care?
  2. Who sponsors or owns it?
  3. At what times are they open?
  4. What are the expenses that you have to bear?
  5. Do they allow insurance companies to pay their costs?
  6. If they provide transportation to and from the adult care home or not?

If you wish to know the daycare accurately, the best way is to visit it. Plan out a tour of the healthcare and take your loved one as well.   There are a few things that you need to consider during your visit:

  1. Are the workers friendly?
  2. Is the center clean enough and smells good?
  3. What do they do if an individual needs immediate medical assistance?
  4. What sort of credentials or licensing do the employees have?
  5. Do any volunteers provide proper help?
  6. What is the ratio of staff to the client? (About six clients for each team is fair enough)

Benefits To Look For:

The services you will be presented with, vary relying upon the type of center. Typical examples of services have been listed below. Furthermore, queries which will assist you in verifying whether or not a particular day program fits your family’s wants. Do remember that some adult day facilities provide all types of services. However, not all centers will meet your particular needs.

  1. Counseling

The center might offer you support services for your folks with Alzheimer’s disease. For instance, they will provide you instructions on outside resources and even organize for supportive care at home.

  1. Health services

Make sure you can get medical assistance.   Your senior may need medications given at specific times. Do not forget to ask the employees if they provide medical help. Some centers additionally might offer reports on blood pressure levels   and offer ear or eye examinations.

  1. Nutrition

Inquire if the center will provide snacks and meals with a proper nutrition and calories. Ask for a sample meal to see if the food produced is adequate and reasonable. If required, raise questions on whether the center will present a special diet according to health conditions. Ask if they offer a specified menu. Some centers additionally can provide you classes regarding nutrition.

  1. Personal care

Centers might offer you with services like hairstyling, eating, showering and other alternative personal care tasks.

  1. Activities

Learn about the daily activities organized by adult day care homes, involving music, recreation, support programs, art, and discussion.

  1. Behavior management

Inquire if the day care home can deal with different behaviors that an Alzheimer’s patient might do. They could be aimlessly wandering, having hallucinations, incontinence or have difficulties associated with speech.

  1. Therapy

Ask if the center can organize therapeutic sessions for proper physical and mental training. Know if the center has a therapist’s on-call or onsite.

  1. Special assistance

Make sure to inquire whether the center is ready to accommodate anyone with special requirements. Knowing about the medical assistance facilities will prevent any problem or misunderstanding in the future. For instance,

  • Understand if the center has proper equipment like wheelchairs to deal with patients with walking issues?
  • If they have medical instruments for people who are visually impaired or have hearing problems

Knowing all the options will help to choose the best adult day care near you. Understand your needs and select the center wisely, considering your loved one and the care that will be provided to him/her at the center.

Reconsider your care desires if you think a specific one won’t work out. Your parent or grandparent with Alzheimer’s disease will require a lot of care and the center needs to fulfill that. Evaluate if the staff can meet all those needs effectively and then choose their services.

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Written by HealthStatus Crew
Medical Writer & Editor

HealthStatus teams with authors from organizations to share interesting ideas, products and new health information to our readers.

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