Where Have All of the Adult Day Cares Gone?

I recently had a client who would benefit from some structured activity a few days a week.  She was in her late 70’s and no longer drove; she was also suffering from bipolar disorder and, although able to live alone with help from her daughter (who lived nearby), she was not quite independent enough for your average senior center.  At the same time, she certainly did not meet the stringent criteria for attendance at an Adult Day Health Care (extreme physical and/or cognitive disabilities).

Aha!  I thought.  She would be perfect for an Adult Day Center (more structure than a Senior Center but more relaxed than an Adult Day Health Care).  Alas, my search ended quickly…as I soon discovered that Adult Day Cares are a dying breed.  As funding for our elderly and disabled dried up, Adult Day Cares were the first program to be cut.  If they are still running, they are no longer accepting clients.  I wonder, how many elders, like my client, will be directly impacted by the extinction of these social day programs?

In the end, we found a local Senior Center that would have to do.  As she cannot drive, I assisted her daughter with applying for paratransit.  It was denied.  Twice.  It was only after I wrote a letter and spoke to a supervisor that my client was approved and finally able to start attending the Senior Center a few times a week…but that is a tale for another day.