Adult Day Care is the best kept secret! We save lives! We save the government money! We save caregivers from stress and burnout! We save trips to the emergency room and hospital stays! We save individuals from being institutionalized! We save our communities!
There are 163 licensed adult day care programs in New Jersey, servicing approximately 15,000 seniors and disabled individuals and employing approximately 4-5,000 NJ workers. This is a cost-effective alternative to placement in an institutional setting at about 1/3 the cost.
Adult day care (ADC) is a comprehensive all-inclusive licensed medical model program that provides assistance in a community-based setting that offers an array of direct services for basic daily needs. Through the medical and therapeutic programs, ADCs offer mental, social, and physical stimulation in a structured, supervised, and individually tailored program for adults who have dementia, disabilities, or those who lost some independence because of physical or cognitive impairments or chronic health conditions.
Adult day care services’ history dates back to the post–World War II period.
There were British veterans in large numbers coming home and hospitals had difficulty caring for them. They created this model of care called a day hospital. It’s an alternative to institutional care when families need help caring for a loved one, but either cannot afford assisted living or chooses to care for their loved one at home.
ADC programs allow the caregiver the necessary respite and the ability to work while promoting independence and dignity throughout the aging process.
Adult day care services provide an array of direct services:
Medical Services, 1:1 nursing care and monitoring, social services, therapeutic activities, personal care, door to door transportation and doctor’s appointments, trips and outings, special events, nutritious meals, consulting services with a medical consultant, dietitian, pharmacist, and some offer to arrange for physical, occupational, & speech therapy, podiatrist, ophthalmologist, and dentistry services.
Besides all the medical benefits, there are quality of life benefits with social interaction, peer association, and just a sense of belonging by engaging in life.
Adult day care programs have been the unsung heroes during the COVID-19 Pandemic! Through our Telehealth program, we were able to continue to monitor clients daily, provide them daily nutritious meals, weekly care packages with essentials, activity sheets, and as needed, nursing and social service interventions. We truly saved lives!