Benefits of an Adult Day Program for Seniors Living with Dementia

Adult Day Programs are more than a way of just keeping someone busy or entertained during the day; Day Programs provide opportunities for social and intellectual stimulation, physical exercise, nutritious meals, caregiver respite, and forming friendships. For someone living with Alzheimer’s disease or a related dementia, sitting alone at home all day can actually be detrimental to their health and increase their risk of falls and quicken the progression of the disease. One of my clients recently told me that his doctor had ordered him to get out and be more social in order to keep his brain active and healthy.

Adult Day Programs also offer opportunities for seniors to participate in various therapies, each playing a vital role in their physical and mental health. Participants can experience enhanced creativity and self expression through age-appropriate creative arts, feel the nostalgia that comes with music therapy, stimulate their senses through sensory therapy (LED bubble columns, therapeutic fish aquariums, etc), and participate in purposeful and meaningful horticultural therapy. Some Adult Day Programs even offer intergenerational therapy; a unique and fun way of encouraging interaction between children and seniors, and animal therapy. Sometimes it’s difficult for a caregiver to provide these therapies at home and, when experienced with others in a social environment, the outcome can be very different.

Now let’s talk about you caregivers for a moment. If you care for someone who is living with dementia, you are probably well aware of how stressful it can be. You’re constantly tired, you’re always worrying about your loved one’s mental and physical health that sometimes you forget to take care of yourself, or perhaps there isn’t much time at the end of the day for you. Perhaps this isn’t how you envisioned your retirement years, or perhaps you’re a young working professional who is balancing a full-time job, caring for your mom or dad, and raising a young family of your own. It’s a lot! And it’s okay to need a break once in a while. An Adult Day Program can provide peace of mind while you’re at work or while you go out for coffee and shopping with a friend knowing that your loved one is safe, being well cared for, and enjoying themselves in a social environment. This allows you to focus on your work, your family, or personal interests that maybe you’ve put on the backburner for a long time.