Friends Place Adult Day Services
Adult daycare service centers are a relatively new concept in caregiving that is gaining popularity.
Adult daycare centers offer full-day care for seniors with medical problems, unlike traditional senior centers, which mostly offer lunch, social activities, and sometimes transportation.
These centers offer the benefit of a group social setting and additional services such as personal nursing care.
I recently talked with a director of a local adult daycare center, Marylynne Henry, about what her center, Friends Place Adult Day Services in DeSoto, Texas, offers its clients.
Marylynne said that her center specializes in all-day care for adults over 55 who have dementia or Alzheimer’s disease.
“Our center provides the seniors with social engagement and brain activities, such as book club, trivia, word games, music activities, and therapy animals.
We have groups from the community come in to give talks and presentations. It’s much like what a senior citizens’ center would ordinarily provide. Still, with special attention to those with dementia or Alzheimer’s,” Marylynne said.
A nurse is on staff, and medications can be administered. Attention at meals and for personal care may be given. The center is licensed by the Texas Department of Aging and Disability Services, a state agency.
For the family and friends taking care of these adults, an adult daycare center provides comfort in knowing that their loved one is getting attention, has a social life, and is supervised in a setting appropriate to their needs.
“So often, for the senior with dementia, their world gets smaller and smaller,” said Marylynne.
The caregivers are usually spouses or adult children working outside the home. Hence, a center open Monday through Friday fits their work schedules.
Some seniors may have such serious health or mental issues that an adult daycare center could not provide the level of care needed. For example, Marylynne said that Friends Place cannot take seniors who are in a wheelchair or who have serious mobility restrictions.
She also said that elopement is a risk for those with Alzheimer’s. “We can usually redirect a person who wants to leave, but we do not restrain them,” she said. “It is up to the family to determine if their loved one can benefit from the services we provide,” she said.
Medicare does not pay for an adult daycare center. Still, she said the Veterans’ Administration would pay for veterans’ care in such a center.
“Our prices are posted on our website, and we try to make it as economical as possible. Suppose you look at the rate for each hour of care. In that case, it comes to about $7 per hour, which is cheaper than getting quality care at just about any other facility,” Marylynne noted.
Most adult daycare centers offer caregiver education classes and caregiver support groups throughout the year.
Why look into the adult daycare centers in your area and see if the services are helpful to you and to the one you are caring for daily?