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When Cecilia Flores’ mother became combative and started wandering, her mother’s doctor recommended a 24-hour care facility to keep her safe. The expense, which would run about $4,000 a month, along with a desire to keep her mother near her dad, prompted Flores to choose another option. The 40-year-old single mom, who cares not only for two aging parents in her home, but also for two of her children, ages 4 and 13, sought the service of an adult day-care center. Each weekday morning, Flores drives her mother from her home in Orange to Adult Day Services of Orange County in Huntington Beach, where her mom spends most of the day before being picked up by another family member. The secured facility specializes in Alzheimer’s disease and other dementia-related conditions. “It’s helped me in so many ways, just being able to get out and do what you need to do. Plus, it stimulates my mom,” says Flores. “I see a difference in her when she’s ill and doesn’t go and I need to keep her for the day. She’s much more agitated and can’t sleep at night.” How to choose Though one of the fastest-growing segments in elder care the number of adult day-care centers in Orange County has increased from about a half-dozen locations in 1997 to approximately two dozen today many parents caught in the squeeze of raising children and caring for their own parents remain unaware of offerings. “Adult day services are still not recognized as a viable option,” says Cordula Dick-Muehlke, executive director of Adult Day Services of Orange County. “When people think about caring for a loved one in their family, they often still only think of in-home care or that somebody is going to have to be placed in a nursing facility. They don’t realize that such a creature as adult care services exists.” Similar to the concept of child-care centers, seniors are dropped off or transported each weekday, with the majority of participants attending at least two days a week. This is not babysitting-type care. Services range from social and educational activities to comprehensive medical treatment. “Part of the goal of the adult care center is to basically enhance the quality of life of somebody who is going to be isolated at home, maybe at risk because they really aren’t safe anymore being alone,” says Dick-Muehlke. “So you want to keep that person safe. But you also want to give them a positive experience during the day. And then you want to provide them with those services that are going to help them to continue living at home.” Like other adult day centers, ADSOC offers different levels of care. Its Adult Activities Center, for example, is designed for individuals in the earliest stages of Alzheimer’s disease. Programs include structured preventive therapies, such as memory retaining, as well as offsite recreational outings to area museums, restaurants and community events. For those with moderate to severe dementia, the center offers a Social Day Care program. Participants receive needed supervision and assistance onsite while enjoying a full day of recreational and social activities, such as music, arts and crafts, and interactive games. Specific medical help For those whose dementia is complicated by multiple medical conditions, the center offers an Adult Day Health Care program. At this level, participants receive a full range of professional services, including nursing care and rehabilitative therapies, in addition to recreational activities. Some centers, such as ADSOC, are nonprofit and offer scholarships; others operate for a profit. Additionally, some facilities cater to specific elder-related issues, while others serve an array of needs. Prices vary from center to center. A cost-effective alternative to in-home care and institutionalization, ADSOC offers up to 10 hours of care for $46-$77 per day, or $4-$8 per hour. In-home care, on the other hand, often runs between $10-$20 per hour. And for an institutional setting, costs often begin around $36,000 annually. In addition to a break from caregiving, the center also offers a number of programs specifically for the caregiver. Supplemental services include education workshops, support groups and referrals to other resources in the county. “Bringing a loved one to the center, that’s just one piece,” says Dick-Muehlke. “You need all of these components to make it possible for that family to stay together, and for both the individual with the dementia and the caregiver to have a good quality of life.” For more information on Adult Day Services of Orange County in Huntington Beach, call 714.593.9630. For information on other adult day-care centers in Orange County, contact the Council on Aging of Orange County at 714.497.0107 or visit www.coaoc.org. Sandy Bennett is associate editor at OC Family Magazine. |
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