Senior Resources 2024 Health Care Guide

A DULT D AY S ERvICES

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dult Day Services are a practical and appealing part of the solution to long-term care needs of older adults, as well as younger disabled persons. For many, Adult Day Services are an option to nursing home or other residential or institutional forms of care. Adult Day Centers are designed to serve adults who are experiencing a decrease in physical, mental and social functioning and who need the protective environ ment that Adult Day Services can provide. Adult Day Centers are able to care for persons with Alzheimer's Disease or related disorders, mental retardation and developmental disabilities, chronic mental illness, and physical problems related to aging and disability. Not all centers are able to provide care for all of these various popula tions. If you are looking for care for yourself or a loved one, it will be important to find out what kinds of people the center you are checking into is able to care for. Has the staff been trained to care for the special needs of persons with the kinds of needs you or your loved one has? Are there other people in the center with similar kinds of needs? Is the program integrat ed, that is do all persons regardless of disability, or spe cial needs participate in one

to meet those needs. Adult Day Centers have a variety of professional staff based on the range of services that they pro vide and may include nurses, social workers, therapists and other staff specially trained to work in the day care setting. For frail older adults, Adult Day Center activities may include everything from partic ipating in a variety of programs such as current event discus sion groups, arts and craft activities, health education, and passive exercise groups. Music and art activities give partici pants an opportunity to express themselves in a variety of ways, as well as opportunities to learn and develop new skills. Adult Day Services are less expensive than institutional care. Fees for Adult Day Services vary from center to center based on what services are included in the fee. Some centers may be able to offer low income persons a reduced fee based on ability to pay.

program or are there special ized programs and services available? These are just some of the questions you should ask. Adults who can benefit most from the special care provided in an Adult Day Center are those who need supervision, social interaction and assistance with more than one activity of daily liv ing such as eating, walking, toileting, bathing or dressing. Centers provide a wide vari ety of services such as Recreational Therapy, Meals, Social Services, Transportation, Personal Care including bathing, hair and nail care, Nursing Services, Rehabilitation Therapy including physical, occupa tional and speech therapy, and Medical Services. Not every center will pro vide all of these services. Many programs, especially in urban areas, may provide the should receive the services that they need based on an assessment by the center's professional staff and the development of a plan of care full range of services. Individual participants

COUNTY INDEX

Milwaukee........................18 Ozaukee ..........................20 Washington ......................20 Waukesha ........................21

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