Benefits of Adult Day Services Facilities
Benefits of Adult Day Services Facilities
By Mary Hoskins, RN
Have you thought about adult day care for your loved ones? Adult day care can be the perfect way for your loved ones to receive the care, supervision and social interaction they need while you get the time you need to work or meet other family obligations.
If you’re on the fence about putting your loved ones in adult day care, consider these benefits:
A Sense of Purpose. One of the things that older people miss the most once they retire or become ill is a sense of purpose. They need a reason to get up in the morning! Spending day after day at home alone waiting for family or friends to come by can be isolating. Your loved one could be at risk of developing depression. Enrolling them in senior day care can restore a sense of purpose to their lives and give them a reason to be excited about getting up every day.- Providing Supervision. Many seniors are capable of staying in their own homes longer if they have periods of supervision. When they are home alone all the time they are more likely to have an accident. Getting out of the house and being in a supervised setting gives them a chance to remain independent longer.
Nutrition. Adult Day Care also benefits an individual’s nutrition. Many seniors end up not cooking nutritious meals for themselves because they don’t want to eat alone. Sometimes they just don’t want to make a full meal for themselves. In addition, they may not feel confident using the stove or cooking with heavy pots and pans. When your loved ones attend adult day care, they are getting at least one nutritious meal each day and eating in the company of others.- Caring for the Caregiver. The time spent at an adult day services facility provides respite for you — the caregiver. Don’t feel bad about needing time for yourself. You can’t be the only support for your elderly loved ones, especially if you have a job or a family of your own. It’s ok to say that you need time for yourself. Senior day care can give you the freedom to work all day without having to worry about the safety of your loved ones. Senior day care also gives you the freedom to take care of any errands or other family obligations. Or, you can take a spa day to restore your own mental and physical health. Taking care of yourself is of the utmost importance to be at your best for your loved one.
Mental Stimulation. Seniors need mental stimulation and often they don’t get enough. Activities, crafts, trips, and just being around other people can help your loved ones exercise their mental muscles. This helps them stay sharp and alert for longer periods of time. Studies have shown that seniors who don’t receive enough social interaction lose their mental faculties at a much faster rate than seniors who have strong social ties and get out of the house for activities and social occasions on a regular basis.
We know how you feel about leaving your senior loved one home alone.
Other families felt the same way. Once their loved one became a Member at Naperville Senior Center Adult Day Services, they found it was the right choice.
Call to action: contact us to schedule a FREE 3-hour trial at our facility so you can see what we have to offer and understand the Naperville Senior Center experience, “Home Away From Home”.
Free TRIAL is for new Members and their caregiver.
The trial visit is Monday-Friday from 11:00 am to 2:00 pm.
Tour our adult day services facility.
Observe some fun activities. Join us for lunch. Learn more at our Senior Adult Day Care center FREE TRIAL
Receive Peace of Mind.
*** No obligation! ***
Learn more about Naperville Senior Citizen services and upcoming events.
Plant a garden. Think herb garden, or even a couple tomato plants. An herb garden would be perfect for indoors and could easily be transplanted outside next month. If you are handy, you could build a small, raised planter box where your loved one could comfortably sit or stand to help plant the garden. Not only are the herbs and vegetables good for them, they will appreciate being involved. It doesn’t get any more ‘local’ than that!
Plant a tree. This might not be something your senior loved ones can do themselves, but they can still be involved. Find out what their favorite tree is (hopefully something that grows well in your zone). If they still live in their own home, find a spot to plant a tree, even a little one, where they can see it. Maybe they could help water it from time to time. They can take pride in seeing something grow and live on for a long time and know that they were involved with it. If they live in a community where you cannot do this, maybe you can plant their tree by your house. When they come over to see you, point out the tree they that picked out – their ‘favorite’ tree.
We have a raised garden at Naperville Senior Center where our Members help to plant, water, pick and eat the wonderful vegetables we grow. We began planting April 1st, and on April 18th we had some impressive growth. We will transplant to the other side of the window in a couple weeks.
When the kids were little in the Cooper household, we would hide the little plastic eggs filled with candy, goldfish, other treats and coins. The kids would start at the top of the stairs and Mike would video them as they ran down the steps to the room with the eggs. It was very fun watching their search tactics change as they grew older. However, we would only let them have a couple pieces of candy before Mass. There was no room for kids with too much sugar during the celebration of the Risen Lord!
SPAIN: There are many processions through the streets of towns in Spain at night to celebrate Easter. The ‘floats’ have decorated figures, covered in gold, silver or beautiful cloth, telling the Easter story. These floats are carried by 40 or 50 people through the procession, which can last 4 – 5 hours.
Easter Celebration at NSC
been serviced recently and ready to use so their home is always at the right temperature. At NSC we make sure our facility is at the right temperature so our Members are comfortable while they are with us.
You always have a chance. That chance may be slim, but that doesn’t mean you shouldn’t show up and do the best you can. Remember David and Goliath; the odds makers probably didn’t give David very good odds either.
At NSC, everyone has a chance; a chance to enjoy fun activities, do a little exercise and socialize with up to a dozen of their peers.