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The Problems Associated With Adult Day-Cares

Adult day-care centers are places for senior citizens and disabled adults to go during the day when their caretakers are working or otherwise busy. These centers generally provide medical services and an engaging environment for these adults, who are often unable to care for themselves. While there are numerous advantages to the existence of these centers, they are not without their problems. .

  1. Lack of Employee Training and Knowledge

    • Employees at adult day-care centers must not only have general medical knowledge, but also the ability to deal with adults who have severe disabilities. Problems associated with these centers often rest on the fact that staff members are not properly prepared to deal with the myriad of issues presented by patients. Potential patient issues and conditions that can overwhelm an undertrained staff may include mental breakdowns, resistance to treatment or disease management, the presentation of more than one illness or disability at the same time, and the combativeness of adults who would rather not be present in the facility.

    Elder Abuse

    • Senior citizens make up a big chunk of the adult day-care center population, which can breed abuse that can become rampant in such communal centers. Abuse can occur at the hand of an unscrupulous day center employee or one who is just undertrained and overwhelmed with patients. Elder abuse is characterized by another person's ability to con, scam, humiliate or otherwise harm elderly patients. This may happen as an isolated incident or a daily occurrence.

    Lack of Resources

    • Adult day-care attendees often need access to a slew of resources, which can be taxing on the center's staff. Adult day-care centers often have access to limited resources, so staff members may find themselves having to improvise when it comes to finding ways to deal with patients. This might include teaching them new ways to care for themselves at home, working with family members to get them assistance, or providing on-site counseling and social work sessions.

    Poorly Maintained Facilities

    • Some adult day-care centers are poorly maintained, which can result in a less-than-hygienic environment in which the adults must interact until the end of the day. Less-than-desirable aspects might include dirty bathrooms, unkempt common spaces, broken down cots or beds, dirty sheets and blankets, and a lack of nutritious food. Often, such conditions occur at the more affordable facilities, which leaves many families without a choice but to bring their loved one daily.

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