The Benefits of Adult Day Care

Next Week’s Learning Goals and Objectives 

To learn how older adults daycare provide continuing care, and both mental and social stimulation

To learn how caregivers attend to the personal needs of older adults, and balance their work and personal needs.

Next Week’s Schedule 

The schedule is based on the services provided at the elderly day care. These services are in line with the day care goals because they focus on enriching the lives of the elderly adults through social interactions.

Placement Items/Issues 

The day care is staffed based on the needs of the elderly adults in the center. There were a number of changes that occurred at the center during the week. Due to the growing number of the elderly, the center added more staff. First, the center employed an activity staff to be in charge of all social activities at the daycare. Second, the center employed a program assistant to be in charge of personal care. Third, the center employed five more social workers to assist with daily day care operations. Fourth, the center employed one more licensed nurse to assist in healthcare services and needs of the elderly. Last, the center employed a general director to oversee the operations of all the departments at the day care. The center also plans to employ drivers, accountants and secretaries as the number or size increases.

Description of this Week’s Objective 

The major objective is to learn the benefits of the adult day care. Based on this objective, I learnt that the center provides a safe and secure environment that allows the elderly to spend the entire day or part of the being attended to ( Friedman, 1986) . I also learnt that the center offers enjoyable activities that are presented with educational features. Moreover, I learnt that the elderly adults at the center benefits from physical exercise that assist them to reduce falls ( Baumgarten et al., 2002) . The center offers meaningful social interaction that improves the physical and mental health of the elderly adults hence delaying decline in cognitive abilities. The social and mental simulation offered to the elderly improves their overall quality of sleep. Additionally, active participation in the activities at the center enable the elderly to maintain a certain level of independence which keeps them stay at home for longer days and relieve the caregivers of fatigue ( Friedman, 1986) .

The center’s programs are also beneficial to the caregivers because it gives them an opportunity to learn how to manage their health as they age over the years. The elderly center has flexible schedules that allow the caregivers to take breaks hence reducing their level of stress and fatigue. This enable the caregivers to recharge, energize, and focus on their caregiving duties. Lastly, I learnt that caregiving is a role that I fulfilling because it gives the caregivers a peace of mind that their clients are taken good care of in an environment that is safe. Therefore, this week’s objective was adequately met because I experienced all the benefits that can be derived from caregiving for both the clients and the caregivers.

References

Baumgarten, M., Lebel, P., Laprise, H., Leclerc, C., & Quinn, C. (2002). Adult day care for the 

frail elderly: outcomes, satisfaction, and cost.  Journal of aging and Health ,  14 (2), 237-259. 

Friedman, D. E. (1986). Eldercare: The employee benefit of the 1990s?.  Compensation & 

Benefits Review ,  18 (3), 56-63.