Adult Day Care Service Centers

Adult day care offers both respites for caregivers as well a much-needed socialization for seniors. This article provides an overview of adult day care centers for readers.

The typical Adult Day Services (ADS) program was initiated in 1992 as a single-site, stand-alone, private, non-profit service provider.

According to Met Life, the typical day center has been in operation an average of 17 years.

Twenty-seven percent of centers are for-profit up from 22% in 2002. Almost three-quarters of all centers (71%) are non-profit (56%) or affiliated with the public or government sector (16%). The majority are state-certified or licensed.

• One-third of the center directors have business or healthcare administration backgrounds.
• Almost 60% come from nursing, social work, and activities/recreation therapy.
• Almost 80% of ADS centers have either a registered nurse (RN) or a licensed practical nurse (LPN) on staff.
• The direct care worker-to-participant ratio is one direct care worker for every six participants (1:6).

• Half (55%) of the funding comes from publicly paid participant fees and one-quarter (26%) from privately paid participant fees.
• Medicaid and state and local funding are the top two sources of funding.
• The Veteran's Administration (VA) accounts for 10% of total revenue but is growing.
• Standard fees average $61.71 based on a number of hours of care or a flat daily fee of $57.96.

• The average maximum capacity has increased to 51 people.
• The average number of participants served per day is 34.
• Approximately 29% of centers have a waitlist.
• The majority of participants are women; 69% of participants were age 65 and older, 21% of participants were age 41 to 64, and 9% of participants were age 40 and younger.

• The three most prevalent conditions experienced by ADS participants are dementia (47%), hypertension/high blood pressure (46%), and physical disability (42%).
• About a third of participants experienced cardiovascular disease (34%) and diabetes (31%).
• Chronic mental health issues were experienced by 25% of participants and 20% had a developmental disability.

• Care Planning
• Assistance with activities of daily living (ADLs)
• Nursing and health-related services
• Therapeutic and Medical services
• Meals and Transportation
• Activities and Targeted Programs
• Wellness Practices and Disease-Specific Programs

MetLife has recommended that in anticipation of future needs and growth, ADS:

• Need to understand the evolution that needs to take place as society grows to demand these services.
• Be prepared to treat a higher acuity client.
• Advocate for new funding sources for healthcare reform.
• Market to other key players in the long-term care network, such as hospital discharge planners.
• Reach out to employers who can use these programs.
• Educate policymakers about the vital role day services plays in society.

As society moves away from institutionalized care to home-based care and aging in place, the vital role that adult day services play will grow. Now is the time to consider this as a viable business option and also an option for a loved one under your care.