Impact of Senior Centers and Adult Daycare on the Elderly - Essay Example

Impact of Senior Centers and Adult Daycare on the Elderly Introduction The number of the elderly has continued to rise in the United States depicting a trend that may result into more elderly people in the society as compared with the working age. In anticipation to the increase in the aging population, a number of daycare centers for the elderly have been established in the country targeting the stay-alone-at-home elders. These facilities provide the aging population with an environment that allows them to stay healthy as they engage in different activities with their fellow elders (Polgreen). The establishment of daycare givers for the elders seeks to complement the role of home caregivers by providing alternative care in a different environment from the normal home environment. The adult care facilities are designed to resemble the home environment but provide more proactive and healthy facilities to the elderly. As daycare facilities, they operate within the normal working hours of the day when the home based care givers are engaged in other role. The increasing need for daycare facilities in the united states has led to the growth of such facilities in the united states with the current number standing at 4,000 facilities countywide (Polgreen). The development of daycare facilities for the elderly and the nature of the environment within these facilities have a number of impacts on the life and wellbeing of the elderly. These impacts range from psychological, financial and even societal implications and these have led to the increased demand for the facilities in the United States. These institutions have specific funding structures that either depends on the state regulation or the nature of services they offer. In this paper, the psychological and financial implications of senior and adult day care centers for the elderly will be discussed. The paper will also evaluate the societal implications that these facilities offer and how this has changed the life of the elderly. Psychological and financial impacts of senior and day care centers for the elderly The development of senior centers in the country has had massive impacts on the life of the elderly and has contributed to their psychological stability. At an advanced age, an individual is alienated from the reality of the world and ends up losing the ability to do the things they used to do previously. This affects the stability of the minds and may accelerate the development of a number of psychological situations. This has been shown to be more prevalent to the elders who are confined within homes from where hired or relatives provide care to them. This confined home environment has significant impacts to their mental state and may lead to the degeneration of their psychological being. Based on this premise, a number of senior and adult daycare facilities have been established in different parts of the United States to provide daycare during normal working hours. Such facilities have created significant impacts on the psychological state of the elderly and thus either influenced positively or negatively their lives during their sunset days (Polgreen). Senior facilities have a number of programs geared towards occupying the minds of the elderly and providing an alternative activity for them to engage in. through these activities, the aging are given an opportunity to develop self-sufficiency as they engage in different roles. This makes them develop feeling of importance and relevance as they can still use their little energies to engage in different activities. Through such processes and activities, the minds and mental state of the elderly is engaged and this reduces the chances of mental degeneration that arises from isolation witnessed when they are confined at home (Martin). Within the adult care and senior centers, a number of social activities are provided and these include interactive sessions where the aging get to interact with their peers. This gives them the best opportunity to share their life long experiences, makes friends and engage in interactive sessions as they pass away time. Through this, the loneliness associated with aging is isolated as the senior is provided with yet another opportunity to engage with peers and reflect on their life journeys. A research conducted in senior centers in Florida, Iowa, New Hampshire and Texas highlighted some of the psychological impacts of daycare and senior centers on the senor population. The report concluded that over 90% of seniors developed new friendship and this reduced their loneliness as compared to when confined at home. A number of the seniors also reported that the friendship that they formed while in the senior facilities enhanced their emotional security and sense of importance (Span). The formation of new friends and acquaintances through interaction within the seniors and the day care facilities has significantly created psychological stability among the aged. As they interact with each other, the senior begin to appreciate their position and develop more strong attachment with each other. It has been established that the elderly spend much of their time calling their senior and day care facility friends while at home. The development of these senor centers have thus led to emotional stability and psychological improvement due to the benefits it offers those are confined within the facilities as opposed to those confined at home (Jacobson 3). Despite the massive benefits that these centers confer to the elderly in the United States, these centers have massive financial burden on the elderly and their dependents. With the current aging population increasing exponentially, the country estimates an increase in the overall costs of caring for the elderly which will impact on their pension and savings. Daycare facilities in the United States are self-sponsored and not supported by any government agency thus making them expensive. Medicare facilities and services in the country does not also cover daycare and senior care services for the elderly and this contributes to the increased cost of such services. Most of these facilities charge on a daily basis based on the number of hours spent, the services offered and the physical and mental situation of the elderly. Most of the facilities charge at between $20-100 per day and this is dependent on the services offered and the facilities used by the elderly (Martin). The cost for the services also differs depending on the funding models of the facilities as some are funded by federal bodies. According to the a report released by the MetLife market survey in 2010, the overall cost of daycare facilities is way below the expenses incurred when homecare givers are hired. Daycare givers charge an average of $60 per day as compared to homecare givers who charge $19 an hour. The services offered within the facilities and the environment and company it creates for the elders is much more as compared to the homecare givers. This makes senior centers and daycare facilities cheaper and more beneficial as compared to homecare for the aged. The government has however been positive in providing subsidies to the elderly to make daycare and senior centers much more affordable by providing veteran benefits, subsidies and insurance services (Beisgen & Kraitchman 437). Societal impacts of elderly daycare and senior centers The emergence of daycare services for the elderly and the aging has had significant influences not only on the aged but also the society as a whole. While the elderly might have served the society with diligence during their active days, their advanced age creates significant burden to the society especially the working population (Pardasani & Thompson 51). At this age, the children and other relatives to the aged are either active in employment or educational engagement. The emergence of daycare facilities for the elderly has thus created an opportunity for the elderly to spend most the working hours within the confines of the senior centers. This allows the society and its member’s better opportunity to engage in other responsibilities as their loved ones are cared for by trained professionals (Beisgen & Kraitchman 434). Daycare services for the elderly have trained specialists and professionals with the ability to prevent, diagnose, treat and care for the elderly suffering from chronic diseases like Alzheimer. As a result, daycare services and senior centers have reduced the burden that was initially shouldered by the society as far as caring for these chronic conditions are concerned. The facilities offer services that research has shown reduces the possibility of developing chronic diseases in the elderly. These services reduce the prevalence and development of these conditions thus reduces the societal burden of caring for those suffering from such conditions (Jacobson 3). Benefits of daycare and senior facilities for the aged The increasing number of daycare facilities for the aged in the United States can be attributed to the massive benefits that these facilities have provided and continue to provide to the senior members of the society. Despite the fact that a number of people have not fully embraced the use of these facilities as a day option to offer care to their aged loved ones, the services and benefits of these services have been massive and this has contributed to the high number of facilities in the united states (Aday 25a). One of the main concerns with elderly care is their health and mental wellbeing making the identification of services and activities that may keep the aged active a necessity. This is one of the reasons as to why a large number of Americans today continue to embrace daycare facilities for the old. A number of benefits of daycare and senior facilities have been identified and this explains the rising need for the development of a better funding and cost approach (Stevens & Tilburg 22). Before the emergence of daycare facilities for the elderly, the aged were assigned caregivers who would care for them from their homes and provide the necessary auxiliary support. However, as highlighted in the prior sections of this paper, the average cost incurred to hire the services of a home based caregiver is high as compared to daycare facilities. A home based care giver pockets on average $19 an hour for the five or seven hours that the relatives of the aged are at work. This translates to $130 a day for all the days that the caregiver’s services will be needed by the elderly, a value that is twice what the daycare givers charge. At an average of $67 a day, daycare and senior facilities offer trained and specialized services to the elderly which significantly improves their emotional and psychological situation (Beisgen & Kraitchman 435). The monotony of being care for by one person on a daily and weekly basis contributes to the development of a number of chronic conditions among the elderly. Homecare is characterized by the provision of care by one person all round the clock thus creating room for monotony and loneliness among the aged (Span). However, daycare and senior centers provide an interactive environment where the elderly are cared for by a wide pool of professionals who are trained on offering occupation therapy and other services. As a result, daycare and senior facilities significantly reduce the monotony and loneliness created by being cared for by one specialist or even relative. Such an environment with a wide pool of caregivers also boosts the morale and spirit of the elderly and thus improves their personal health and conditions (Stevens & Tilburg 21). An aged individual misses a number of things he/she used to do as a youth or a young adult including socializing and working with a variety of people from all walks of life. When aging sets in however, these people are confined to rooms where they only get the chance to interact with their caregivers or their siblings. This reduces social interaction and affects the spirit of the aged which provides ground for the emergence of certain health conditions. Daycare facilities however offer a different environment from homecare which improves the mental status of the elderly and improves their overall life after retirement (Aday 23a). Within these facilities, the elderly gets the opportunity to interact with other aged members of the society who are within these centers. Through such interactive sessions, the elderly are provided with the opportunity to associate with individuals who share their beliefs, experiences and a number of life aspects. It is thus easier for them to relate with such groups, make new friends and improve their social and mental abilities. A report by the association of daycare providers in the united states associates improved mental and physical status of the aged to the interaction platform that the centers provide for them (Jacobson 3). As earlier mentioned, a number of the aged have been found to form strong bonds and friendship with the other members of the facility resulting into increased communication between them. This is one of the best ways of reducing stress, loneliness and dejectedness among the elderly as they find an opportunity to associate and spend time with those who understand and relate well with their situations (Pardasani & Thompson 54). At an advanced age, a number of chronic conditions arise which require specialized care and constant medication under the surveillance of a trained health practitioners. Such facilities are limited and expensive for stay-home aged individuals making daycare the best option for medical care among the elderly. At such an age, conditions such as Alzheimer and other central nervous system related conditions increases which affects the coordination of the elderly. This reduces their ability to walk, clean themselves, eat or even take medication in time as directed by the doctor. The availability of daycare facilities has provided an opportunity for the elderly to receive daytime assistance necessary for their survival and maintenance of a healthy life despite their chronic conditions. Physiotherapy services and exercises are also available within these facilities which may not be found within homes which are essential for the maintenance of active body system (Stevens & Tilburg 20). One of the most essential services for the elderly is counseling and continuous monitoring of their health status to arrest early emergence and development of chronic conditions. With daycare facilities, the aged are periodically counseled and taken through multiple therapy sessions to strengthen their spirits and physical abilities. Such services are not readily available to those subjected to home based care or may be extra expensive if provided by hired personnel. Daycare facilities thus present a greater opportunity to improve the life of the elderly by presenting them with a fresh opportunity to experience the life they used to despite their advanced age. It prevents the development of a number of chronic conditions and also assists in the management of these conditions thus increasing the life expectancy of the aged in the United States (Martin). Funding and accessing daycare and senior home for the elderly One of the main concerns as far as the development of senior centers and daycare facilities for the elders is concerned is the availability of funding for these centers. Initially, these centers were funded by the private sector and managed by individuals who would raise their funds from the charges charged on the customers. However, the enactment of the older Americans act (OAA) increased the funding opportunities for these facilities as this act outlined the need for federal financing of these centers. The enactment of this law provided resources for the senior centers to enable them provide a wide range of services to the elderly including the provision of meals, transport to and from their residences and other medical information necessary for their medical care (Stevens & Tilburg 17). Apart from the enactment of the OAA, the Medicare adult day service act also outline specific source of funding for adult daycare facilities in the country. Before the enactment of this law, the Medicare law did not cover the old Americans and this increased the cost of taking care of the aging population in the country. This act will ensure the provision of financial support to daycare facilities in the United States by supporting both the facility and family members of the aged. There is a number of elderly care facilities in the United States and accessing requires registration and arrangement for transport services for the elderly (Martin). Conclusion The development of proper care for the elderly bestows upon them another opportunity to live a worthy life despite the medical and physical challenges they face as a result of their age. Daycare and senior centers for the elderly are designed to meet the rising demands for facilities to take care of the increasing aged population. Such facilities have specialized personnel who care for the elderly and give the more reasons to be happy and avoid the boredom associated with their age (Aday 134b). Funding for these facilities is essential to enable them provide advanced services to their clients and offer other auxiliary medical facilities to meet the health demands of the elderly. Works cited Aday, Ronald. Identifying important linkages between successful aging and senior center participation. Unpublished paper presented at Joint Conference of the National Council on Aging and American Society on Aging, Chicago, Ill. 2003. Print. Aday, Ronald. The evolving role of senior centers in the 21st century. Senate special committee on aging. 2003. Web. 4 Dec. 2013 Beisgen, Beverly & Kraitchman, Marilyn. Senior centers: Opportunities for successful aging. New York: Springer Publishing Company. 2003. Print. Jacobson, Eric. The impact of senor centers and geriatric healthcare policy. Institute for public administration. 2006. Web. 4 Dec. 2013 Martin, Daniel. "Daycare cuts hit 20,000 pensioners: warning that elderly could be left isolated and lonely as council reduces spending on social care". Mail online. 28 Dec, 2012. Web. 4 Dec. 2013. < http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2253924/Daycare-cuts-hit-20-000-pensioners-Warning-elderly-left-isolated-lonely-councils-reduce-spending-social-care.html> Pardasani, Manoj & Thompson, Peter. Senior centers innovative and emerging models. Journal of gerontology, 31.1(2012):52-77. Print. Polgreen, Lydia. As Population Grows Older, Towns Face Crisis. New York Times 4 November 2003. Web. 4 Dec. 2013 Span, Paula. New funding proposed for adult day centers. The New York Times. 14 May 2010. Web. 4 Dec. 2013. < http://newoldage.blogs.nytimes.com/2010/05/14/new-funding-proposed-for-adult-day-centers/?_r=0> Stevens, Nan & Tilburg, Theo, V. Stimulating friendship in later life: A strategy for reducing loneliness among older women. Educational Gerontology, 26, 15-35. 2000. Print. . Read More