Adult day care centres

An adult daycare center is a non-residential health care facility specializing in providing activities for elderly and/or handicapped individuals. Most centers operate 10 - 12 hours per day and provide meals, social/recreational outings, and general supervision. Some daycare centers maintain a nurse on-site. Occasionally, there will be a small room devoted to clients to have vital signs checked, etc. by a medical assistant/nurse when needed. They may also provide transportation and personal care as well as counseling for caretakers.

Currently more than 3,500 adult day centers are currently operating in the United States providing care for 150,000 older Americans each day. Nearly 78 percent of adult day centers are operated on a nonprofit or public basis. Daily fees for services are almost always less than a home health visit and about half the cost of a skilled nursing facility. Daily fees for adult day services vary depending upon the services provided. Average cost across the country is approximately $56.Funding for adult day services comes from participant fees, third party payers as well as public and philanthropic sources.