Adult Day Care: Benefits, Costs, and Finding Care

Adult day care is a place where seniors can go during the day to socialize, engage in activities, and get medical care if needed. Additionally, some adult day care services offer highly specialized care. In general, all senior day care facilities share a common goal: to improve participants’ quality of life, both physically and mentally.

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The three types of adult day care

Adult day care is a broad term. As a caregiver, you’ll probably be most interested in these three types of adult day care:

Social adult day care. If your loved one would benefit from having someone to talk to, or somewhere to go to get out of the house, local community centers are a free or low-cost option. There are also private adult day care centers that focus primarily on meeting older peoples’ social needs.

Adult day health care. Some adult day care facilities offer services such as medication management, nutritional counseling, and physical or occupational therapy. These are an excellent option for seniors who have chronic conditions or disabilities that require more frequent — but not around the clock — caregiver attention.

Specialized dementia day care. For people living with Alzheimer disease or dementia, specialized dementia day care facilities offer memory care programs, activities to stimulate cognitive function, and strict safety protocols. Specialized dementia day care is also a great resource for the caregivers of people who have dementia. A recent study showed that caregivers experienced fewer negative emotions and more positive ones on the days their loved ones attended adult day care^[01].

What services does adult day care offer?

Adult day care facilities may offer:

• Health monitoring: Regular checks on vitals and overall health by trained nursing staff.
• Medication management: Assistance with getting prescribed medications as needed during the day.
• Therapy: Access to physical, occupational, and speech therapy if needed.
• Dietary support: Providing meals and snacks, including those who have specific nutritional needs, such as people who have diabetes.
• Chronic condition management: Support and monitoring for conditions such as hypertension, heart disease and multiple sclerosis.
• Specialized care for cognitive impairments: Structured programs and supervision for people living with Alzheimer disease or dementia.

Adult day care center activities

Beyond addressing medical issues, adult day care facilities offer important recreational and social activities. Some pastimes include:

• Arts and crafts: Activities such as painting, drawing, knitting, or creating handmade items can be deeply therapeutic. An added bonus is that facilities often bring in talented local artisans to lead workshops.
• Pampering: Adult day care centers that understand the importance of selfcare may organize little luxuries, such as a nail spa or hair salon day.
• Music therapy: Singing, playing instruments, or listening to live or recorded music is an activity beloved at adult day care centers.
• Cards, board games and puzzles: Many adult day care centers organize these classic recreational outlets.
• Movement and exercise: Lower impact dance and exercise, such as yoga, tai chi, walking, ballroom dancing, or light aerobics, are typical offerings at adult day care.
• Gardening: Older adults who have cultivated a green thumb may have the opportunity to plant and nurture flowers and vegetables at a day care facility.
• Field trips: Activities aren’t always limited to the facility and its grounds — visits to local parks, museums, or community events are often a part of programming.
• Holiday and birthday celebrations: Bolstering a sense of community, adult day care centers often celebrate their guests’ special milestones together.

This is a time when adults of all ages are suffering from increasing loneliness and isolation^[02]. So, it’s more important than ever to mind the needs and emotions of aging adults, especially those who have physical or mental health challenges. Adult day care can fill gaps in support and socialization that caregivers may not be able to meet, and may be especially helpful for caregivers who are experiencing burnout. Plus, social activity, beyond its intrinsic value of being plain old fun and rewarding, has been shown to actually lower health risks^[03][04].

Additionally, by supporting the participant’s well-being, adult day care services can postpone the need for placement in a long-term care facility, such as a nursing home^[05].

Here are a few factors that can help guide your decision about the right time to explore adult day care services:

• Your loved one seems generally more distressed: Bouts of depression, boredom, and loneliness alone might not be signs your loved one needs assisted living, but could be a good indicator that they’d benefit from the socialization and stimulation of adult day care.
• Your loved one lacks routine: If routines have fallen to the wayside, an adult day care center offers structure and the cognitive benefits of routine through scheduled activities^[06].
• Your transportation is limited: Arrangement of pick-up and drop-off of guests is often a benefit of adult day care centers, so if you have limited transportation options, senior day centers are a way to get out of the house for a change of scenery.
• You or your loved one’s caregiver are not equipped to meet day-to-day medical needs: An adult day care service can fill care gaps without the commitment to the more costly option of a long-term residential care facility.
• Providing care is a source of stress: This is especially important for caregivers of loved ones who have dementia because they face increased health risks. Nearly 60% of U.S. caregivers of persons with dementia report high or very high emotional stress, and as many as 40% have symptoms of depression^[07]. Caregivers must consider their own well-being, and adult day care is a means to ease the burden.
• Your aging parents have different care needs: Sometimes, parents who have different level of care needs face the gut-wrenching decision to live separately. An adult day care facility that provides skilled nursing services is a way to bridge that gap and avoid separation, especially if in-home nursing care is less financially feasible.

Finding the right adult day care provider requires prioritizing what matters most to you and your loved one. That could be the difference between choosing a center that provides favorite foods or a facility that provides limited versus specialized nursing care. Here’s how to get the answers you need to find the right adult day care center:

• Use online search tools: The National Adult Day Services Association (NADSA) and the elder care locator from the Administration for Community Living both offer excellent web-based search tools.
• Word-of-mouth: When in doubt, ask your network and community about their experience with local senior living facilities.
• Tour facilities and ask questions: What kind of training do staff receive? Does the facility provide transportation? Are there specialized memory care services? These are just a few of the questions that NADSA suggests asking when touring a care facility.
• Search for signs of quality: Is the facility maintained well? Do the staff have pleasant dispositions, or do they seem overly stressed? Were you able to witness the center’s guests engaging in fulfilling activities?

Based on the 2023 Cost of Care Survey from Genworth, a long-term care insurance company, the median monthly cost for an adult day health center is $2,058^[08]. However, several factors will affect the actual monthly cost:

• Payment structure: Given the non-residential nature of the service, many facilities accept pay-per-day. According to Genworth, the median cost per day is $95. Depending on how often your loved one attends, and which services they need, your monthly cost could be far lower than the $2,058 median.
• Level of care: A more specialized day care facility, such as those tailored for people who need advanced memory care, may cost more. It’s worth noting that the daily rate for these facilities is still lower than the cost of in-home care, which is estimated to be $30 an hour, according to A Place for Mom’s 2024 Cost of Long-Term Care and Senior Living Report.
• Cost of living: Like other major expenses, your loved one’s zip code is a factor in adult day care service costs. In areas that have a higher cost of living, staff wages and facility operating costs are also higher. Fortunately, there may be ways to help you and your loved one absorb those higher costs.

Talk with a Senior Living Advisor

There are a few ways to cover the costs of adult day care. Here are the most common:

• Out-of-pocket: Families that have the money may pay directly out-of-pocket for adult day care. There are also ways to free up funds for the expense, such as cashing out the value of a life insurance policy. It’s recommended to consult a financial advisor if that may be an option for you.
• Medicaid: Although policies vary by state, Medicaid may help cover adult day care for eligible seniors, especially those who require medical support. Your state may also offer adult day services through the Home and Community-Based Services (HCBS) Medicaid Waivers program, which can be used for low-income seniors who require skilled nursing care.
• Veterans’ benefits: Benefit programs from the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) may be used to cover adult day care services. For example, the VA offers compensation through the Veteran-Directed Care program, which covers respite care in the form of adult day care to relieve caregivers of veterans.
• Long-term care insurance: Depending on the policy, long-term care insurance may cover adult day care. Your loved one’s life insurance policy may also have a long-term care aspect that’s worth looking into.
• Community programs: Churches and local charities may offer financial assistance or a sliding scale payment for adult day care to help furnish affordable options. Check with local senior centers or NADSA.

Read more:Paying for long-term care

Does Medicare pay for adult day care?

While traditional Medicare (Parts A and B) does not cover adult day care services, Medicare Advantage (Part C) plans may offer partial coverage for adult day care. However, like other private insurance plans, coverage for services will vary from plan to plan.

When considering Medicare Advantage plans, check specific policies to see whether adult day care services are covered.

Elderly people who are eligible for Medicare and Medicaid may access adult day care through the Program of All-Inclusive Care for the Elderly (PACE). PACE is a comprehensive program aimed at helping seniors stay in their homes. PACE services include medical care, prescription drugs, and adult day care. Medicaid usually helps cover the cost of participating in PACE. Seniors on Medicare who don’t meet the income requirements to qualify for Medicaid may pay premiums to participate in PACE.