Nana's needs: Choosing an adult daycare

You often can rely on an adult day care center's staff as a resource for managing the care of your loved one.

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• Feel you need assistance and advice in planning for care.
• Believe an elderly relative is socially isolated or in need of mental stimulation.
• Believe it is not safe to leave your senior relative alone, but cannot arrange for anyone to be with him or her.

• Determine the senior's needs


Create a prioritized list of what the loved one requires. The list may include: social interaction, nutritious meals, exercise, health monitoring, and personal care such as bathing and shaving.


• Determine your needs


Why are you looking for adult day care? For assistance while you work? Help with transportation? More free time? Support and advice in planning for care? Answering these questions will help you devise a schedule and receive appropriately matched care.


• Call and review literature


Call the center you've selected and request that they send you their brochures. When they arrive, review for the following:


• Who runs and sponsors the program
• How many years it has been in operation
• The licensing and insurance it has
• Health conditions the center can handle

Health conditions may include incontinence, limited mobility and memory loss. Review the staff credentials and find out how many staff members attend each senior.


• Visit


Use common sense when you check out a facility. You'll want to be sure it has an atmosphere that is welcoming, friendly, calm, and wheelchair-accessible if necessary. Be to look over menus to ensure it follows an acceptable balanced diet or that they can cater to dietary restrictions.

Look for comfortable furniture and check to see whether there is evidence of planning and carrying out group and solo activities, and if sick people are kept apart from healthy people.


• Audition the center


If you or the senior don't like it, don't stay.


• Don't be afraid to ask


Most centers will do more than care for your loved one while you're at work or taking time for yourself.

You often can rely on an adult day care center's staff as a resource for managing the care of your loved one and a place you can go for assistance. Caring for an aging loved one can be easier when the job is shared.

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