Learn about Adult Day Health Care
What is Adult Day Health Care?
Adult day health care (ADHC) is a community-based long-term care program that provides comprehensive health care services in a congregate day setting. Registrant needs are assessed and met through an individualized plan of care that is developed and implemented by an interdisciplinary team of medical professionals, including the registrant's personal community physician.
What services are provided?
Registrants are given nursing, case management, clinical management, medical, diagnostic, social, rehabilitative, recreational and personal care services on a routine or daily basis. Services are provided according to the assessed needs of the registrant, and range from monitoring, observing and maintaining an individual's health status to aggressive interventions and utilization of resources.
Who provides the services?
ADHC programs are staffed with medical professionals, including licensed registered nurses, licensed practical nurses, NYS-certified nurse aides with 100 hours of training, activity staff, social workers, and professional physical, occupational and speech therapists.
What is the benefit of attending ADHC?
Registrants have all of their health care needs assessed and met, or arranged for, by the
program. The program of comprehensive, integrated care leads to stabilization of chronic health conditions and reduced incidence of costly physician and emergency room visits. Registrants are provided with the medical and social services they need to remain at home and a part of the community.
Who is eligible?
ADHC is designed to meet the health care needs of chronically ill, frail elderly and disabled adults who require certain primary, preventive, diagnostic, therapeutic, rehabilitative or palliative services.
How do you enroll?
The ADHC program nurse will conduct a comprehensive assessment to identify the individual's health care needs and the type and intensity of services required. The individual will be admitted if it is the professional opinion of the RN, the individual's personal physician, the other interdisciplinary staff, the registrant and the caregiver that his/her assessed needs can be satisfactorily met, either entirely or in part, by the delivery of services in the ADHC program.
The personal physician writes medical orders regarding the registrant's care in the adult day health program. The appropriate number of days to attend is determined by the same interdisciplinary team so that optimum outcomes can be achieved.
In some instances, the local department of social services or other approving agency must approve the service for transportation purposes. Approval must also be obtained when a registrant enrolled in the Long Term Home Health Care program applies for admission to an ADHC program. This eliminates duplication of services and promotes effective use of Medicaid funds.
How do you pay?
An individual must be Medicaid eligible, willing to pay privately, or have a private insurance source that will pay for the service.
When would a person consider ADHC?
An individual might seek adult day health services:
- If existing and necessary caregiver support is eliminated or compromised
- When a medical condition develops or new diagnosis is rendered which requires acute or chronic medical care
- Following an accident or acute episode if an existing condition is exacerbated
- When hospice care is required if restorative therapy is needed following an acute episode
- During the end-stage disease process
Is transportation available?
Yes. Door-to-door transportation to and from the center is available. This permits individuals who need physical assistance and who are wheelchair-bound to leave the isolation of their home and join a group setting.
How do I find a program in my area?
Call 1-877-LTC-BOOK for a free guide to programs in New York state or log on to www.nyahsa.org and visit the Adult Day Health Care Council's (ADHCC) Web page by clicking on the icon for the ADHCC. Click on "finding services" and enter the county you are interested in. Outside New York, contact the National Adult Day Services Association (NADSA) at (866) 890-7357 or visit their Web site at www.NADSA.org.