Searching Adult Day Care Centers Near Me? How To Identify Red Flags
An adult day care center can be a great resource for caregivers and their care recipients. A good adult day care program offers respite for the caregiver and a safe place to socialize for the care recipient.
If you’re searching for an adult day care center for your loved one, look at several options. Ask questions, get to know the staff, and look for red flags. In this post, we’ll outline some red flags that indicate an adult day program might not be right for your loved one, or even unsafe.
If you need more caregiving resources, check out this link to see if you have free access to Trualta’s extensive learning library for caregivers.
About Adult Day Care Centers
An adult day care center is a facility offering safe, supervised activities for seniors or adults with disabilities. These are not the same as senior centers. Adult day care services provide more comprehensive senior care for adults who cannot be left alone due to safety reasons.
Many people can benefit from adult day care services, including overloaded caregivers who need necessary rest. Utilizing day care programs can even delay the transition to an assisted living facility or nursing home.
Adult day services vary widely. Some are primarily social adult day services with activities, recreation, exercise, and social opportunities. Other older adult day care providers offer more comprehensive eldercare services. These might include health care, personal care, assistance with activities of daily living, therapy, health monitoring, and dementia care.
Keep in mind that adult day health care is not available in all programs. If your loved one needs medical care throughout the day, be sure to ask about these services. For example, if your loved one needs medications or a specific diet, ask about specific adult day health care services.
Red Flags To Look For
Not all states require licensing for adult day care centers. It’s especially important to be selective in states that don’t regulate adult day care. Take the time to visit several facilities, ask questions, and look for worrisome red flags.
No Accreditation Or Certification
If your state doesn’t regulate adult day care, it’s important to ask about other credentials. Professional associations like the National Adult Day Services Association approve or accredit adult day centers. Not having this stamp of approval doesn’t necessarily mean a facility is bad or unsafe. However, it does mean you should dig deeper and ask more questions.
Too Few Staff
Ask about the staff-to-participant ratio when selecting an adult day health center. There should be enough staff to provide a safe environment at a minimum. If the staff seems overwhelmed or you can see that some participants are not getting enough personal attention, a facility is probably understaffed.
Uncleanliness
When you visit day care centers, look for signs that they aren’t kept adequately clean. Look in the common areas, kitchens, and bathrooms. Lack of cleanliness is a bad sign and could impact your loved one’s hygiene and health.
Participants Look Bored
Your primary goal for adult day care may be to keep your loved one safe. A good social adult day care facility goes beyond supervision and provides participants with recreation, activities, and socialization. If the participants look bored or are only sitting around doing nothing, consider it a red flag.
Bad Reviews
If you’re checking out adult day care providers and see a lot of bad reviews, it’s a sign they’re not providing a good service. Any business is likely to get some bad reviews, but these should be minimal and clearly addressed and resolved by the day care center.
Locked Contracts
Adult day care costs can be high. Some facilities may offer discounts if you plan to commit to long term care. This can be a good deal, but watch out for centers that lock you into a contract. You should be able to change your mind about a facility without losing a lot of money.
Keep your loved one’s care, safety, and well-being in mind as you search for a good adult day care program. Look for positive features but also keep a critical eye on red flags and be selective about where your loved one spends their time.
If you need more caregiving resources, check out this link to see if you have free access to Trualta’s extensive learning library for caregivers.
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