If you are caring for a parent or spouse because he or she suffers from dementia or Alzheimer’s, or is unable to perform the activities of daily living, such as bathing, dressing, eating, transferring toileting and continence, you know that the physical and emotional stress that accompanies care-giving can be overwhelming, and unless you have been a caregiver, you cannot imagine the disruption and stress it adds to an otherwise normal life. 

Adult day care centers are becoming more popular as boomers and their parents need to receive care, and it is available in most communities for those living with a chronic illness or functional disability.

Adult day care centers are run on the same principal as day care for children. They are open during customary business hours. Therefore caregivers can go to work during the day, and resume care-giving duties in the evenings and on weekends. In addition, adult day care centers provide meals and snacks, field trips, crafts and exercise. Personal care services are also available, as well as transportation. A personalized plan of care is designed for each participant. Even medical care is sometimes available.

Many adult day care centers are run by nonprofit agencies and some adult day care is provided at senior citizen centers, churches or places of worship in the community. The cost is sometimes based on your ability to pay. Much of the adult day care that is received today is paid for by long-term care insurance, which is becoming extremely popular as a means of private pay for services in numerous other care centers, including care received in the home.

Adult day care can free you to not only go back to work, but so that you can do daily chores, run errands or just take a break from care giving and enjoy a respite. Adult day care centers can also provide family counseling and family members can participate in support groups.

The face of America is changing, we now have more elders than ever before and they are living longer. Have you planned for your care or that of your parents? Are you ready to start? Let’s talk about it.

Dorothy McMahon, president of McMahon and Associates, is a Long-Term Care Insurance Consultant in Bloomfield Hills, MI. Reach her at (248) 844-9787 or LTCINUSA@aol.com.