Factors to consider when choosing an adult day care program

An adult day care facility or program can be a good temporary solution for a live-in caregiver, who may need a few hours off once in a while.  It may even be part of a permanent set-up, should the caregiver have a full-time work outside home.  Either way, day care facilities or programs for older adults are beneficial for both the caregiver and the care recipient:  a full-time family caregiver is relieved of some of the burden of caring for an elderly loved one while the elderly care recipient is given an opportunity to socialize with his or her peers. 

But the success of this setup will depend on the facility or program you have chosen.

Here are some of the factors you need to consider when choosing a day service for your elderly loved one:

• Purpose – When looking for a day care program or facility for an elderly loved one, you need to consider why you need one in the first place.  Do you have a full-time work which will require you to be away from home 8 hours a day, 5 days a week?  Or are you planning on a few hours to a few days time-off? 
• Your loved one’s needs – Choosing from a wide selection of day programs for an elderly loved one can be daunting, with a wide variety of choices available for you.  But knowing your loved one’s needs and level of care required can help you narrow-down your options to a specific type of day program.  In choosing an ideal day program for your elderly loved one, as yourself the following questions:  (1) does your loved one only require some assistance with daily activities?  Or does he or she need therapy or medical assistance as well?  (2) Is your loved one in need of memory care assistance? 
• Reputation – The number of years in operation, its licenses or certifications, and the staff’s credentials can say a lot about the quality of care the facility can provide.  If that doesn’t convince you, you can ask other residents for feedback regarding their stay in the facility.
• Staff to patient ratio – Ideally, the staff to patient ratio should be, at the very least, 1:7. 
• Activity – This is especially important for seniors who may require memory care.  Activities must go beyond providing opportunities for social interaction, but also boost cognitive functions of participants with memory loss problems.

When looking for a day program for your elderly loved one, it’s best to start early, so you can have enough time to come up with a backup plan should the main plan fail.  The ideal time to hunt for an adult day care facility or program for your loved one is at least a month before your planned time off, or the first day of your work. 

Visit our website www.arightplace4seniors.com for senior placement services.