February 2, 2009
Family Alliance Adult Day Health Services
FAMILY ALLIANCE ADULT DAY HEALTH SERVICES
OFFERS COST-EFFECTIVE OPTIONS FOR FAMILY MEMBERS
WHO HAVE TO WORK
Our country is rapidly becoming a nation of caregivers. According to the National Alliance for Caregiving, 44 million Americans are providing unpaid care to another adult who need some type of support because of chronic health care conditions, cognitive impairments, functional limitations, or disabilities.[i]
A recent article from The Wall Street Journal by Kelly Green, titled “Solving the Caregiving Puzzle,” examined increasing demands placed on families and household budgets due to the growing number of senior baby boomers, as well as the influence of science and medicine helping people to live longer.[ii] The article also identified families coping and responding with innovative options and strategies to help dependent parents or spouses stay in their homes, as well as methods to ease the burden on family caregivers. However, according to a study by Health Management Associates, adult day care is a lesser known solution not widely understood.[iii]
Here in McHenry County, Family Alliance has offered this option for the last 27 years, and has established itself as an attractive and feasible opportunity for caregivers who need to work, thus enabling needful clients to live with their families and avoid institutional placement. In fact, the majority of Family Alliance clients have daughters, sons or spouses who are able to maintain steady employment due to this viable option.
Tim, whose father attends five days a week, stated, “I thank God every day for Family Alliance,” and added that he wouldn’t be able to keep his job because his father has reached a point where cannot be left alone.
Jean, whose mother has been attending Family Alliance’s Adult Day Health program for five years and works out of her home, commented that she would not be able to be as efficient in getting her work done with her mother there every day. More importantly, she feels that her mother’s quality of life is so much better. “Mom thrives on the stimulation and interaction with staff and other clients, which I could not provide if she was at home all day,” she explained.
Jane, another daughter of a client who works as an RN, stated, “If mom didn’t go to your program, I couldn’t go to work, which is very necessary to our household income right now.”
With the recent downturn in the economy, the loss of retirement funds, and the need for caregivers to return to work, Family Alliance is uniquely positioned to offer the alternatives that many families may not know about. Specifically, state money is available to subsidize qualified low and moderate income seniors over 60 to attend Adult Day Health programs. The criterion to obtain the subsidy is based on the client’s individual income, not the families. Case managers from local case coordination units are available to do in-home assessments free of charge. In addition, a new Family Alliance service, which was introduced this last summer, is the day room’s new hourly program, wherein caregivers can drop off a client for a number of hours with only a short advance notice.
Family Alliance is pleased to be able to provide and improvise its programs and services in response to the growing needs and demands of seniors and their caregivers, and will continue to work with families and other professionals in identifying creative and practical options that support McHenry County.
[i] Greene, Kelly. “Solving the Caregiving Puzzle.” The Wall Street Journal. Nov. 15, 2008
[ii] Kelly, et al., 2008
[iii] Alteras, Tanya. “Adult Day Health Care Services: Serving the Chronic Health Needs of Frail Elderly Through Cost-Effective, Non-Institutional Care.” Health Management Associates. July 23, 2007
