Adult Day Programs
Adult Day Programs offer a range of activities in a safe and caring social environment to help seniors and adults with disabilities live at home as independently as possible. They also offer important respite time for the Caregiver.
At Caregivers Nova Scotia we cannot endorse or recommend one program over another, but we do suggest you visit the potential Adult Day Program site to see if it's a good fit, and don't be afraid to ask questions.
Some programs offer meals or snacks. Activities may include music, painting, exercise, crafts, games, outings, and more. Some programs are specifically for people with certain conditions such as brain injuries or dementia. It is also important to ask about costs/funding arrangements, the maximum number of participants permitted, potential transportation, staffing ratio, medical services, etc.
Adult Day Programs may also be an effective transitioning tool for long term care. The care recipient experiences:
- an environment other than home;
- being in a space with people other than family members;
- new schedules and routines;
- receiving guidance and care from qualified care providers;
- social and recreational activities of a group setting; and,
- meals and conversation in a new place.
It also allows the caregiver an opportunity to re-establish their own free time and take a step toward the “new normal” that will soon be part of their lives.