Aging comes with many challenges that inhibit seniors’ ability to take care of themselves independently. This not only poses challenges for seniors, but also for the people who care for them, often other family members. Senior caregivers are often faced with physical, emotional, and mental challenges.
Luckily, adult day care centers offer support for both seniors and their caregivers. Adult day care centers can provide reprieve for caregivers while providing socialization, meals, and healthcare to seniors and adults with intellectual or developmental disabilities.
When to Look for an Adult Day Care
The National Adult Day Services Association suggests that families look for an adult day care center for their loved one when they:
- Need supervision throughout the day
- Can no longer structure their daily activities
- Cannot be safely left alone
- Are isolated and lonely
- Need social and emotional support due to depression or anxiety
- Feel anxious when left alone
- Require attention that results in anxiety, depression, frustration, or compromised health of the caregiver
The Benefits of Adult Day Care
Structure and Socialization
Adult day care centers help provide needed structure to the lives of seniors and their caregivers. Caregivers can attend to other matters during the day, such as working a full-time job, while seniors are under the supervision of a caring healthcare team.
Programs with social and therapeutic activities for seniors can range from arts and crafts to live music programs and special events. Some centers also offer specialized programs to support seniors with Alzheimer’s disease and other dementias. Other programs are designed to foster independence for adults with intellectual and developmental disabilities or serve other specialized needs, such as bilingual programs. Adult day care centers can help provide essential community building that helps seniors connect with others.
“The idea of adult day care is to support and to help these folks be able to have a better, a higher quality of life.,” says Gladys Soto, Administrator and President of Sunset Shores, an adult day care center based in Stratford, CT. “It’s peace of mind for the caregiver who brings them here or who allows them to come to the program. That often provides care givers respite and relief.”
Health Monitoring
Not only do adult day centers provide engaging community events with other seniors, but they can also help oversee your loved one’s health. With a team of caring nursing staff, nurses guide seniors through daily exercise regimens and monitor their health.
What To Look For in an Adult Day Care Center
Services
Adult day care centers provide services that focus on different needs. Some offer only social services, while others are based on a medical model and offer robust medical services as well as social interaction. One of the best adult day care centers in Stratford, CT is Sunset Shores. With a 400-point certification from the Connecticut Association of Adult Day Services, Sunset Shores is equipped to meet the needs of seniors and their caregivers across Connecticut, particularly in Stratford and the surrounding towns. Built on a medical model, Sunset Shores creates a personalized treatment plan for each person based on their unique needs and interests.
Bilingual Programs
According to the United States Census Bureau, as of 2019, Spanish is the most common language spoken in American homes other than English. Therefore, the need for a bilingual program could certainly be a consideration for caregivers.
Sunset Shores has a program called Remesa East that is uniquely geared towards Latino seniors. This program is a bilingual and bicultural program that features arts and crafts, music, and a family atmosphere. Jennifer Monteiro, one of the nurses at Remesa East, speaks highly of the atmosphere of the program, saying, “With Spanish culture, family is very huge. So literally that’s what we feel like here… I feel like I’m with my grandmas and grandpas here.”
Care for Alzheimer’s and Other Dementias
For seniors who have developed diseases such as dementia and Alzheimer’s, adult day care centers can be especially helpful to provide specialized care for these diseases. With a team of nurses on staff, adult day centers provide therapeutic activities and memory maintenance programs.
Care for Intellectually and Developmentally Disabled Adults
Adults with intellectual and developmental disabilities can benefit from a specialized program to help them succeed and foster independence. In these programs, adults learn life skills and computer skills, and participate in recreational, volunteer, and social activities.
Services for Caregivers
Not only do adult day care centers help caregivers by providing them reprieve, but some adult day care centers offer the opportunity for caregivers to meet in a support group with a licensed social worker.
To learn more about the services provided by Sunset Shores, click here.