Tuesday, June 26, 2012

There has been significant growth in the number of Adult Day Services Centers in the USA over the past eight years, acccording to a new study by the MetLife Mature market Institute. There are more than 4,600 Adult Day Services (ADS) centers nationwide, a 35% increase since 2002. These centers serve about 260,000 people, an increase of more than 100,000 since 2002. Twenty-nine percent of the centers have waiting lists. More than half of the participants are women; 30 percent are under age 65.

This study has found that the centers have significantly upgraded the level of services they provide. 80 percent now have a professional nursing staff and 50% have a social work professional. Half provide phyhsical, occupational and speech therapy. Approximately 90% of the centers offer cognitive stimulation programs, while 80% have memory training. Most centers provide programs for caregivers, inclusing education, support groups and individual counseling. The ratio of direct care worker to participant is now 1:6.