Preparing Your Aging Parent For Day Care

If you have an aging parent and you are unable to attend to their needs during the day because you need to work, you may have considered a day care environment to keep your parent safe while you are away from the house. This is a wonderful alternative to at home care and you will have the peace of mind your parent is well taken care of in your absence. If your parent shies away from the idea, you may need to try some of the following steps to show them the program is one they may enjoy.

Start With Written Information

Obtain brochures and documentation from the adult day care center where you are interested in enrolling your parent for care. Sit down with them and gently explain that you would feel better if they had someone available during the day to help them get around and assist with difficult tasks while you are at work. Tell them that you believe this may be a better alternative than having someone come into your home and explain what their day will entail. Show them brochures from the establishment to get them introduced to the idea.

Continue With A Tour

Call the day care and make an appointment to come to the facility to take a tour with your parent. Do this at a time when there are activities being done so your parent will be able to observe how the program works during a busy time. If possible, have a meal at the establishment with some of the other participants so your parent can get familiarized with the process. They may make a few acquaintances while visiting as well. Ask others how they like the program and which activities they enjoy most. Getting others to open up about the way the facility is run can help you determine if it would be the right fit for your parent.

End With A Trial

After the tour, see if your parent would be willing to go to the day care on a trial basis. They may be agreeable to giving it a try for a day or two to see if they become comfortable with the procedures and the people they will be sharing their time with. Give your parent a small calendar to keep in their pocket to help them remember times and room numbers if possible. This will make them a bit more at ease with getting around during the first few days.

Pack your parent a lunch to bring on the first day so they will have some favorite foods with them. If they feel like getting a meal at the day care, have them alert an aid so they can be helped through the procedure. Your parent may find they enjoyed themselves and in no time they will look forward to getting together with their new friends socially. To learn more, contact an adult day care center like Wellspring Meadows Assisted Living. 

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