Adult Day Services FAQ

About Adult Day Services, in General

About Easterseals Adult Day Services

What are adult day services?

Adult day service centers provide a place outside the home for older adults and younger adults with all types of disabilities to be active in the community, socialize with their peers and receive needed health and personal care services. Adult day service centers help adults with Alzheimer's disease/dementia, Parkinson's disease, cerebral palsy, developmental disabilities, and many other disabilities. Additionally, participation in an adult day program allows time for caregivers to work outside the home, attend to their own needs or the needs of other family members, or travel on a long- or short-term basis. 

Adult day contributes to a richer, more enjoyable life while providing vital health services. Adult day services are also an affordable alternative to nursing homes and in-home care. 

Who needs adult day services?

Adult day centers across the country provide services to older adults and younger adults with all types of disabilities, including Alzheimer's disease/dementia, Parkinson's disease, cerebral palsy and developmental disabilities. In particular, many of these individuals may wish to remain involved in the community and enjoy social activities, but need help caring for themselves or supervision that can be provided at an adult day center. For example, adults who live with family members but are unable to care for themselves if left alone during the day, benefit from the support of an adult day center. Additionally, many caregivers are in need of adult day services, which allow them to work or remain active outside the home while still caring for their loved ones.

What is the typical cost of an adult day service?

Adult day services generally cost between $40 and $100 a day depending on one's geographic location. This is less than the cost of nursing home, assisted living or in-home care, but is not covered by Medicaid. 

How do participants pay for adult day services?

Many participants receive funding through state and local agencies that cover all or a portion the cost of adult day services. Although the funding available varies in each state, most offer Medicaid waivers for individuals with specific needs and financial support through the Administrations on Aging and Veterans' Administrations. Some participants also pay through long-term care insurance or private pay.

What kinds of activities do adult day service centers provide?

Depending on the participant's interests and needs, the services offered by adult day centers may include:

  • Recreational activities such as day trips, shopping, arts activities and playing games
  • Cultural and educational programming
  • Exercise
  • Volunteer activities
  • Medical rehabilitation therapy, such as physical therapy, occupational therapy, audiology and speech-language therapy
  • Health services such as screening, counseling, medication management, and medical/social evaluations

Many adult day service centers also provide opportunities for individuals to remain active in the community while under the care and supervision of the center's skilled nursing staff. For caregivers, many adult day service centers provide support groups to help them understand and meet their family members' needs. 

Participants in an adult day program enjoy many benefits, from medical help to enjoying social opportunities and emotional support. Moreover, for adults who have experienced a period of apathy after an illness, death of a loved one or another major change, adult day activities can provide a renewed interest in life.

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Easterseals Adult Day Services
 
What is an Easterseals adult day center?
The Easterseals adult day center helps individuals overcome hurdles by providing:

  • Individualized plans for care
  • A place outside the home for people with disabilities and seniors to remain active in the community and socialize with their peers
  • Health, social and supportive services, such as assistance with personal care and medical rehabilitation in a protective setting during any part of the day, but less than 24 hours
  • Support for caregivers

Our centers are designed to meet the needs of each community we serve. For example, depending on a community's specific needs, Easterseals may provide adult day services that serve seniors in general, or a facility may be designed to help people with specific disabilities like Alzheimer's disease. 

As a trusted expert, Easterseals provides adult day services that contribute to a richer, more enjoyable life while providing vital health services to our clients. Additionally, Easterseals adult day services are an affordable alternative to nursing homes and in-home care. 

What kinds of adult day services does Easterseals provide?

Easterseals provides a variety of adult day services for adults with disabilities and seniors throughout the country.  Each client's individualized plan may include recreational activities, cultural and educational programming, exercise, day trips, volunteering, medical rehabilitation therapy, health services, counseling and medical/social evaluations.

Do Easterseals adult day services serve people with disabilities exclusively?

Easterseals centers are designed to serve everyone from people with extensive developmental disabilities to those who need assistance with daily activities such as eating and moving around.  Additionally, participants' families or caregivers benefit from support groups and respite care provided by Easterseals adult day centers.

Can people with any types of disability use Easterseals adult day services?

Yes, but different Easterseals facilities are geared toward helping different groups. Easterseals is a trusted expert helping people with all types of disabilities. Since part of the Easterseals adult day program involves tailoring the program to fit each client's specific needs, we are trained and able to help adults of all abilities.

How do Easterseals services differ from those offered by other service providers?

Easterseals is the largest non-profit provider of adult day services for adults with disabilities and seniors. Through our unique network, which provides resources and support for Easterseals adult day providers across the country, we can continually improve our first-rate services for adults and people with disabilities. Additionally, as a trusted expert, Easterseals can provide resources to help network participants address challenges such as financing, public awareness/ marketing and quality programming.

Moreover, since some Easterseals centers operate both an adult day service center and a child development center in the same location, we are able to offer intergenerational activities that are unique to our facilities. The adult day and child development centers operate as separate programs, yet work together to provide activities such as reading, teaching and playing games, which benefit both the adults and children. 

Describe a typical day at an Easterseals adult day center?

Since Easterseals programs are customized to fit the needs of each individual participant, the typical day varies for each person. However, the days of most participants consist of a variety of recreational activities, such as socializing, learning new skills, exercising, volunteering, going on day trips and shopping. Some participants may also enjoy participating in intergenerational activities, available at those Easterseals facilities where we operate both an adult day center and a child development center. 

Adult day participants also receive health and supportive services, such as physical therapy, speech therapy, medical supervision and assistance with personal care. Easterseals adult day centers provide these services to help participants overcome daily hurdles. For example, if a participant has difficulty making a snack, styling his/her hair or writing a letter, Easterseals adult day staff members can help.

How many Easterseals adult day service centers exist nationally?  Locally? Where are these centers?

There are more than 50 Easterseals adult day service centers putting hope within reach for adults with disabilities.  These centers serve 1,500 clients in 15 states across the nation.

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