Dementia Patient Won't Go to Social Daycare


How do you get a person living with Dementia to go to adult day care?

Question

One of our readers wrote:
Oh how I wish she would go! She calls it "Granny Day Care" and refuses to go.

I wanted her to go over a year ago. I told her recently that she would have made some new friends by now but she wants no part of it. I think they could accommodate the visual impairment there as well as the cognitive impairment.

She doesn't see herself as an older person, but she's 87!

Shaking my head....

From Christopher Nadeau, Executive Director, New York Memory Center

This is common and a number of strategies include:
  • getting a written letter from the primary care physician requesting such care, 
  • actually telling your loved one you must go in order to stay physically, cognitively and socially fit,
  • asking your loved one to try it out for a week to see how they feel. 
In some instances we recommend a straight forward conversation with the person letting them know that the only other alternative is a nursing home or assisted living facility. 

Day centers, like home care, are not a fit for every older adult, but for many seniors, especially those that are isolated at home with no socialization, it is a lifeline to remaining vibrant in the community.

To learn more about Alzheimer's and Dementia care visit the Alzheimer's Reading Room



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