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
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These caregivers help their loved ones maintain a decent quality of life, without having to go to a nursing home or other facility. But the strain on caregivers can be great. According to AARP, the ‘typical’ caregiver is a middle-aged female who is married (or living with a partner) and works outside the home. It is likely that this caregiver also has children. So she is caring for her parents or other loved one, her spouse, her children and maintaining a job. That is a lot to ask of anyone!
Caregivers should not feel guilty leaving their loved ones at Naperville Senior Center. We truly are their “home away from home.” Our Members can socialize and make new friends, overcome obstacles, walk longer distances, improve hand eye coordination, increase muscle strength, increase endurance, and improve their quality of life!
Workout. Go to a gym, park or even just around the neighborhood. Whether you walk, run, or lift weights, exercise is important to keep you feeling good, both physically and mentally. Schedule the time, like any other appointment, to get it done on a regular basis. Start with 10 minutes. Start today. There is a personal trainer three doors west of our Center.
Just because! Go somewhere calm and relaxing and let the troubles of the day just melt away, even for a little while. You’ll come out feeling refreshed! There is a Mario Tricoci 150 feet from our Center.
Spend time with friends. We stress the importance of socialization for seniors. It helps to improve their attitude, reduces the risk of mental health issues like depression, and lowers blood pressure. The same is true for their caregivers. You spend a lot of time taking care of your loved one, but you also need time to be social with your friends. Have lunch, meet for drinks, or do one of the above items with a friend. It’s important for you to socialize with people outside of your family! Some of our favorite spots include Crosstown Pub & Grill, Sullivan’s, Top Golf and Ogden 6 Movie Theater (inexpensive and THE best popcorn on earth).
Can you believe it was just one year ago, on St. Patrick’s Day 2015, when we had our first ribbon cutting after opening our doors on February 25? We have had many successes since then! We are excited to have our 1st Anniversary Party and Business After Hours again on St. Patrick’s Day 2016 from 5:30 – 7:30 pm!
Our charter Member, Charlene, started with us the week after we opened. We love having her here; she continues to brighten our days with every visit!
We provided fun activities for our Members including planting a garden (and then enjoying the fruits and vegetables of their labor), dressing up on Talk Like a Pirate Day, and having children come by before Halloween to get treats and play games with our Members.
We have hosted several Continuing Education (CEU) Workshops after hours for nurses, therapists and social workers. We are happy to provide this amazing venue for the community when they need to come together to gather and learn. Do you need a space to hold your workshop? Give Mike a call at 630-857-3017.
We hosted our 1st Annual Fall Craft and Vendor Fair in November. Thank you to all 23 vendors who joined us for a wonderful event. Our Members were even involved in making most of our crafts that were sold that day.
We hosted our own ‘Oscar’s Day Awards’ with our Members just before the Academy Awards! Our competition was fierce, but we outstanding performances!
There are more than 5,000 adult day centers across the country with more than 260,000 participants, according to the 
Make it fun. Give your parent a fun reason to go. Is there a fantastic arts program? Or another activity that your mother or father would really enjoy? “The first day, look for a hook,” Eskenazi recommends. “Is there a trip or an activity they would like? Make sure you plan for the first day so they’re engaged right from the start.”
Start with a short schedule. Don’t ask a parent to stay too long at a day center on the first day. “Make it short. Make it easy. Don’t make someone stay the whole day,” Eskenazi says. Don’t overwhelm a parent by booking too many days early on. Keep the schedule as light as possible. “Start with maybe one or two days per week. I would recommend someone starting an adult day center with a shorter schedule and then working up to more days and more hours over time,” Eskenazi says. Be supportive. If a day center is a positive experience for a parent, be upbeat and positive and encourage him or her to attend. “Let them decide if they want more days,” Eskenazi says.
“It often takes several visits to an adult day center for a new person to feel comfortable in a new setting and new routine,” Barnes says. “The ideal situation [in their eyes] is for them to be with you, and you can’t do it 24/7. Ask the staff for help in making the transition from home to the day center.” A parent with a neurocognitive disorder may be insecure about new experiences. But if you are a strong proponent for the day center, a parent may feel more comfortable attending.