Adult Day Care and Respite
Services
September 19, 2005
Speaker: Denise Gienapp, Director of Adult Wesley Day Services Program
Sometimes it is difficult
for the spouse or immediate caregiver to recognize it is time to look at
alternatives. Adult Day Services is one
of those services that can help with transition.
The focus of the Day Service
program is look at what the person with Alzheimer’s Disease
can do rather than what they cannot do.
When is a person ready for
Adult Day Services? It is different for
everyone. Issues are with quality of life.
Benefits of adult day
services for the person with Alzheimer’s Disease:
Benefits for the caregivers:
Now adult day centers have
to be licensed and certified. This oversight was asked for by the
industry. The Iowa Department of
Inspection and Appeals serves as the licensing body in
There are three adult day
services programs in the greater
Q: Is
there help for persons with military service background?
A: The VA also has some funding available. Tim Dempsey, VA Social Worker, or Tom Molly,
VA Social Worker, at 699-5999, can help with the paperwork for VA Financial
help.
Q: How do you get a person to go if they are reluctant?
A: Call
it a club, or let them know it is an opportunity to volunteer.
Comment: Wesley Adult Day Services uses a “best
friends” approach to partner staff with the person with Alzheimer’s
Disease to assure they meet others, interact, have assistance with
meals, toileting, and so forth. It is
important to honor the person in order to engage them.
Q: Is transportation available to get a person to Wesley?
A: Wesley does not have transportation, but Willis and New
Horizons do. Wesley works with the Des
Moines Paratransit.
Comment: When looking into the use of adult day
services, it is important to visit the facility ahead of time, and tour
it. It is ok to come unannounced. It is important to make sure you are
comfortable with the program. Look for
such things as whether they accommodate dietary requirements for persons with
diabetes, diverticulitis, or persons who need finger
foods and other such accommodations.
Handout from Denise:
What Are Adult Day
Services?
Adult Day Services are
community-based group programs designed to meet the needs of functionally and
/or cognitively impaired adults through an individual plan of care. These structured, comprehensive programs
provide a variety of health, social and other related support services in a
protective setting during any part of a day, but less than 24-hour care. Adult day centers generally operate programs
during normal business hours five days a week. Some programs offer services in
the evenings and on weekends.
Who Use Adult Day
Centers?
Adult day centers are
designed to serve adults who are physically impaired or mentally confused and
may require supervision, increased social opportunities, assistance with
personal care, or other daily living activities.
A survey conducted of adult
day centers nationwide, found that the average age of the adult day consumer
was 72 and two-thirds of all participants were women. One quarter of the
participants lived alone; three-quarters lived with a spouse, adult children or
other family and friends.
One half of the participants
of the centers surveyed had some cognitive impairment and one third required
nursing services at least weekly.
Fifty-nine percent of the participants required assistance with two or
more activities of daily living: eating, bathing, dressing, toileting or
transferring; forty-one percent required assistance in three or more areas.
How Many Adult Day
Centers Are Operating?
It is estimated that more
than 3,500 adult day centers are currently operating in the
Seventy-four percent of
adult day centers are affiliated with larger organizations such as home care
agencies, skilled nursing facilities, medical centers, or multi-purpose senior
organizations.* Nearly 78 percent of adult day centers are operated on a
non-profit or public basis and the remaining 22 percent are for-profit.
Even with the growth of this
service, more adult day centers are still needed. A survey funded by the Robert
Wood Johnson Foundation estimates that more that 5,000 new adult day centers
are needed to meet the needs of the growing elderly and disabled population.*
Adult Day Service
regulations differ from state to state and also by funding source. The
Standards and Guidelines for Adult Day Care developed by the National Adult Day
Services Association (NADSA) provides important
benchmarks for states that have elected to regulate Adult Day Services. Funding
sources also define the range of services for which they will pay while an
eligible participant is at an adult day center.
Outside of the voluntary
NADSA standards and the Commission of the Accreditation of Rehabilitation
Facilities (CARF) accreditation standards, there are no uniform national
standards governing either the operation of centers or the qualifications of
staff members. NADSA has a certification
process for program assistants and is developing the same for administrators
and directors.
*Partners in Caregiving: The
Adult Day Services Program (2002) National Study of Adult Day Services,
2001-2002.
What Are the Fees
Associated with Adult Day Services?
The fees for Adult Day
Services vary, depending upon the region of the country and the range of
available services provided by the center.
Daily fees average $56 per day, and vary according to the services
provided and the reimbursement levels where applicable.
What Does One Look for
When Selecting an
A high quality adult day
center: