Adult Day Care - The Best Kept Secret

Article submitted by Mary Lou Zagorsk, with Centennial Adultcare Center. She may be reached at 615-383-3399

Adult Day Care is the best kept secret in caring for any adult who should not be left alone. For people with memory loss, physical limitations, depression or stroke survivors, adult daycare centers offer a day filled with structured activities, shared with a group of friends in a safe environment.

At home, with a sitter or family member, it's easy to say, "I don't want to do that" or "no, I won't exercise with you." But in a group of friends, all participating in an activity, peer pressure takes over and it becomes very hard to say no. So instead of refusing, they join in with the group, benefit from the activity and start putting fun back into their lives.

Adult day care provides a tremendous therapeutic benefit, from range-of-motion exercises to memory exercises to games, all done with a group of friends. Lots of movement and various activities keep the individual busy all day so that they sleep better at night. They are with other people rather than sitting alone or with only one familiar face all day. Meals shared with their friends improves their appetite and weight loss becomes less of a problem.

So, ask yourself, what would you rather do? Sit at home having little interest in TV, eyes not good enough to enjoy reading, limitations that prevent the hobbies you liked to do and a limited attention span that leads to frequent naps. Leave your home prematurely and be placed in a nursing home or assisted living facility. Or, join a group of your peers where the whole day is planned with activities you can be successful at, that bring a smile to your face, sharing lunch with new friends and coming home at night ready for a good night's sleep.

And now, for Veterans, adult day care at Centennial Adultcare Center may be paid for by the Veterans Administration. Also, anyone may qualify for the Options for Community Living Program which will pay for adult day care at many of Nashville's adult day care centers.