At the Adult Day Care where I work, we take care of elders with dementia, Alzheimer's disease and other forms of memory impairment. We serve a hot lunch, do daily exercises (45 minutes), and offer a variety of activities, including SPCA visits, art and crafts, cooking and gardening, word games, bingo, monthly movies, sing-along, and a variety of guest artists. Most of our clients are picked up by a special bus service around 9AM, and some are brought in by spouses, children or hired caregivers. Some of them live in Board and Care Homes, some with family and a few of them live independently. Around 3PM they return home, after a day without TV, but with a hot lunch, snacks and plenty of liquids. We offer assistance with medication and with the use of the restroom, if needed. Most of our clients love coming to the center, some keep forgetting where they are, but all are safe and continually invited to participate in the program.
Our days are carefully planned around the incoming clients. Our staff to client ratio is 1:5 (this might change with the impending budget cuts), which allows us to accommodate different stages in he progression of cognitive loss, and have our clients stay active as long as possible.
Our calendar and menu are published and mailed every month, and follow the major holidays and seasonal changes with monthly themes and guests. A set daily routine is followed by all, with regular activities in smaller groups in the afternoons.
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