A Meaningingful Adult Day Program Essay Example

transportation to and from the adult care centre would be very important. Some caregivers no longer have licenses and automobiles, so being able to get their loved one to and from the program will minimize the stress level of the caregiver. Our adult day care program would set up a schedule with special transit and the caregiver to pick up the client on a regular basis at their home and drop them off at the program.After the program they would take them back to their homes. I would advocate for the adult day program to be set up out of our Continuing Care Centre because our location is central and we have access to our facility van.

Caregivers can get their loved one easily to our site from anywhere in the city because it is in the centre of Medicine Hat and there is a bus stop right in front of the facility in case they use the public transportation. Access to the facility van is important in case there are those clients that the special transit cannot pick up. Current EventsParticipation in discussion of current events by clients in adult day care programs is therapeutic. The adult day care centre would start each day with this program.

The clientele would sit around a table and have refreshments and snacks while the program assistant reads the Medicine Hat daily newspaper. The assistant would get involvement from each client by asking them questions about what they have just read. This program provides both social and mental stimulation. The clients are able to visit with others attending the program and they would be current with what is happening in

the community.It is important to start the day with this program because it would stimulate the clients memory to the month, day and year and mentally get them ready for the rest of the day. Physical Therapy Physical activity, done on a regular basis, is essential for maintaining strength and function.

Social interaction contributes to a positive mental outlook. By creating a daily group exercise program we enable the client to maintain this function. Activities that could be included in this group could be bowling, wheel chair races, hockey and basketball.The psychological benefits of a group exercise program are numerous.

This setting creates friendships and gives participants the opportunity to escape from a boring routine. It also allows participants to see other persons with limitations and provides the opportunity to help rather than be helped. Clients would be challenged to explore their full capabilities. Physical benefits include increased strength, flexibility and endurance.

As the client does this activity on a regular basis it increases their feelings of self-worth and motivation.When the client goes home from the adult day care program they would be motivated to do more which make it easier on the care giver. My wife’s Grandpa and Grandma live in their own home and he has Alzheimer’s disease. Her Grandma was getting very tired of taking care of him so home care started to come in three times a day. This was hard on her and she needed some respite. He was assessed to go to an adult day program five days a week.

Before he went he could barely get out of his reclining chair and walk to the washroom without help. Now after two months

in the program he can get up and do this on his own without help.Grandma states that he has this extra strength and confidence because of the exercise group they do daily at the adult day program. Lunch and Rest This part of the day in an adult day program is very important. After a busy morning the client needs the opportunity to have a nutritional lunch and take time to relax. During this time individuals can sit around and socialize with other participants of the program.

This will allow them to get to know each other more personally. Some days the program assistant can have some of the participants bring in their favorite recipe and they can make that food for the rest of the group.After lunch there should be some time when the client can go lay down and have a nap or go sit in a recliner chair and watch TV or read. Others may want to sit at a table and work on puzzles or play cards with one another.

This gives the client rest before starting the rest of the day programs. Music Therapy Music is used with elderly people to increase or maintain their level of physical, mental and social/emotional functioning. The sensory and intellectual stimulation of music can help maintain a person’s quality of life. I would advocate for the new adult day care program to have some form of music therapy daily.This could involve having a band play while the clientele can listen and sing-a-long to the music.

We could have a drumcircle in which each person sits around in a circle with a small drum and beat the drum

to the rhythm of the music. This will help them in all areas of mental, social and physical functioning. Our adult day program would also provide one to one music therapy to individuals who are more cognitively impaired. I would advocate for this because I have seen how beneficial this is.

My Grandma who passed away a few years ago had Alzheimer’s disease.Her last few years, she did not talk or communicate with anyone. My mother hired a music therapist to go in once a day and play the guitar and sing hymns Grandma knew. After a few sessions Grandma started to sing and clap her hands to the music. The only time she would do this is when the music therapist came to see her. Now the Nursing Home has a full time music therapist because they saw how therapeutic it worked on my Grandma.

Mental Stimulation Toward the end of the day, the adult day care program would have a time of mental stimulation for the persons attending the program.It is important to advise the elderly to engage in mentally stimulating activities as a way of reducing their risks of dementia. This is a time when they can spend time doing puzzles, playing cards, playing board games or even going on the computer. By doing this, the clients would improve on their targeted skills, and may feel good about themselves particularly if the activity is both challenging and successfully completed. There could be weekly events incorporated to the program that would create mental stimulation for the client and would be fun for the whole group attending.

Some of these events could be a BINGO, card tournament

or a puzzle party. Pet Therapy I would advocate for the adult day care program to have some form of pet therapy. This therapy is effective in clients who have not been able to establish satisfying social relationships. It can be used to reach persons who are lonely or withdrawn.

Pets tend to seek attention and are very accepting. Pet therapy would increase social interaction and communication. The client would also get some joy and pleasure by getting the attention from the pets.We could invite the local pet store to come in and bring some of the pets and have the clients of the day program watch or hold them. We could also invite volunteers to bring in their cats or dogs so the clients can enjoy their company.

At the facility I currently work at we have two programs that involve pet therapy for the residents and both have been very successful. A pet store comes once a month to the facility and brings in birds, cats, puppies and even a ferret. The resident will come down to the common area and take turns holding and feeding the pets.It is so rewarding to see their reaction to the animals.

The other successful program is called “Therapy Dogs”. There is a group of volunteers who bring in their dogs once a month and let the residents take turns walking them throughout the building and even outside. This gives the resident a sense of well being knowing they are doing something enjoyable and meeting their physical, mental and social needs. Conclusion Caregivers may feel reluctant to use adult day care programs because they seem unfamiliar or because their loved

one is hesitant to go.The client would benefit by getting to socialize with others and by improving their mental and physical skills. The caregiver would benefit by getting a break from the care giving duties while knowing that their loved one is in good hands.