Finding Day Care for Aging Parents

Jan. 22, 2008 — -- At 8:30 a.m. Camillia Bell heads off to work, but first she makes a stop at day care. It's not a child she is dropping off. It's her mother, Geraldine.

Like millions of Americans, Bell has experienced the heartbreak of witnessing her once-independent mom suffer a stroke and develop Alzheimer's disease.

"I was very sad. It's still sad sometimes to see her unable to perform at the level that she was performing before because she was such a vibrant person. I want her to be able to do more then she can," Bell said of her mother.

And Bell, like many others, found the cost of full-time care prohibitive.

"She required 24-hour assistance, but when we checked into the cost for in-house care it was astronomical," Bell said. "I work full time. Most of my siblings live out of state."

Approximately 400,000 elderly Americans now attend adult day care and the demand is growing, according to the National Adult Day Services Association.

The average cost is about $61 a day versus the cost of a home health aide, which can range from $114 to $152 per day.

Recently Medicare and Medicaid began a pilot program that allows a portion of Medicare home health-care benefits to go toward adult day care.

The benefits of adult day care go well beyond the dollars saved.

"We want them to stay alert and active and I think we get better results keeping them active and engaged, kind of expecting that the environment is set to an active pace," said Diane Berry, the program director for the St. Francis House Adult Day Care Center in Louisiana. "We strategically move the activities from one end of the building to the other."

Berry said that most family members are wary when they leave their parents at the center for the first time but soon change their minds.

"We sometimes find families that first day, when they are very tentative and they are standing in the parking lot wondering about will their mom is going to have a good day. And then when they have a good day, it's like this wonderful freedom — 'Oh, I found a way to manage this,'" Berry said.

And the peace of mind family members find is priceless.

"I love my mother. I know that growing up she made tremendous sacrifices for me," Bell said. "I feel it's my turn and I am willing to do it as long as I can."

Tips on Finding an Elder-Care Facility:

"Good Morning America" parenting contributor Ann Pleshette Murphy has several tips on how to choose the right adult day-care facility for a family member:

Look for a client-staff ratio of at least 9-1.

Make sure there is a nurse on site, and the staff is trained to work with elderly people.

Word of mouth is important. Ask friends and neighbors or go online. Click here for helpful Web sites.

Visit a facility several times to see how the staff and clients interact and if people seem happy there. Also make sure there are enough activities to keep them engaged.

If you're getting resistance from a parent about going to day care, enlist the help of a physician to talk to them. Also get other family members, especially siblings, on board before proposing the change.

Ask if the center has support services for caregivers.