“Adult day care is an alternative to institutionalization. It reduces the loneliness and social isolation of the frail, older adult through interaction with peers, staff, and volunteers. It also relieves members of the family from the responsibility of caring for a loved one 24 hours a day.”

The above statement comes from an informational brochure available from the Elizabeth Seton Center Adult Day Care in Greensburg. In a nutshell, it sums up the mission of organizations that offer daytime care for older adults with a variety of needs.

In practice, the benefits to those who use the services – and even for those who provide them – go much, much deeper.

Carol Dignon of Reisterstown, Md., says her sister Joyce Gamer has become “a whole different person” in the three years she’s attended the Easter Seals Adult Senior Services program in Harmarville. “I don’t know what I would have done without them.”

The 65-year-old Tarentum resident has mild-to-moderate mental retardation, Dignon says. Their mother had cared for Gamer until her death in 2005, making even the simplest decisions for her daughter.

Overseeing her sister’s care from a distance was difficult and frustrating, Dignon says. “She’d say, ‘I don’t need anything, I’m fine’; but she was doing nothing but sitting and watching TV. She wouldn’t help herself to food in the fridge. She wouldn’t bathe or change her clothes because no one was there telling her to.”

Enrollment in the Easter Seals program opened up a new world for her. Dignon has seen her sister develop an increased vocabulary and willingness to converse, greater decision-making ability and independence, coping skills and pride in her appearance with the help of staffers and social interaction with other program participants.

“This is something you usually don’t know anything about until the need arises,” says Janis Powner of Ambridge, whose mother Rose Hrenkevich, 84, attends the Valley Care Association program in Ambridge.

“Mom is a social person. She needs to be with people in a social environment,” Powner says. “Otherwise, she’d be here parked in front of the television” when Powner and her husband are working.

“It keeps her very busy and the routine is good for her.”

“Adult day care is one of the best-kept secrets in elder care,” says Heather Sedlacko, director of Valley Care Association, which serves western Allegheny and Beaver counties. “People think it’s like baby-sitting, but there’s so much more to it than that.”

A typical program schedule includes both mental and physical stimulation, says Patty Takacs, director of Vintage Day Care in Pittsburgh.

“We have exercise, current events, parallel programming for large groups by ability level or interests. There’s bingo, Bible study, arts and crafts, a stroke group, outings, small group games.

“The staff does nail and hair care. We have occupational, speech and physical therapy. We do showers. A podiatrist visits every two months,” she says. “You name it, we do it.”

Centers often host entertainment programs provided by community volunteers, along with pet therapy sessions.
Like many other such programs, Vintage is a medical model. In addition to traditional social services and activities, it provides skilled services from on-site nurses, therapists and other health care professionals. Special meals can be accommodated, including pureed foods and diabetic diets.

Typically, a light breakfast and a hearty lunch are served. For many clients, lunch will be the main meal of the day, says Renee Venturella, director of the Elizabeth Seton Center.

“We try to be a one-stop shop for our clients and their caregivers,” Sedlacko says. “We try to do as much as possible, including informal counseling and referrals to get them the help they need.”

And if all of this sounds too costly for a private pay option, Sedlacko notes that some long-term insurance will pay for day services.

Financial assistance often is available based on a client’s income or personal care needs, says Susan Nirschel, president-elect of Pennsylvania Adult Day Services Association and director of adult day services for Easter Seals.

“There is a county-by-county process to determine eligibility for assistance,” Venturella says, which can include help with transportation to and from a center. The Area Agency on Aging in one’s county of residence often is a good place to begin when seeking information.

For assistance to be granted, potential clients age 60 and older also must be assessed for their fitness to attend a particular program. Centers typically are open on weekdays, and clients can attend full- or part-time.

“An informal rule is that if you can’t get to the center, you’re not appropriate for the program,” Sedlacko says. “Many of our clients have some memory loss and physical challenges. Some have a fairly advanced Alzheimer’s diagnosis. We can’t serve anyone with a communicable disease, or those who are disruptive or not able to adjust.

“We can’t provide constant one-on-one care, so you have to be up and able to take part in activities,” she continues. “You have to be able to get something out of coming here.”

Caregivers benefit, too, from the respite they receive.

“When I know Joyce is at Easter Seals, it gives me a break,” Dignon explains. “They’re like extended family now, and I trust them with her care. You can’t forget that you have your own life, too.”

Venturella says it’s a joy to help families cope.

“We get such positive feedback from the families, and I say, ‘That’s what we’re here for’,” she says. “It’s such a pleasant, rewarding job – I can’t believe they pay me for this.”

Information:

Pennsylvania Department of Aging
717-783-6207
www.aging.state.pa.us

Pennsylvania Adult Day Services Association
866-398-7797
www.padsa.org

Easter Seals Western Pennsylvania
412-281-7244
http://westernpa.easterseals.com

Elizabeth Seton Center Adult Day Care
724-832-2810
www.setoncenter.com

Valley Care Association
412-749-5257

Vintage Adult Day Care
412-361-5003