Adult Care - A Complete Guide

Providing adult care means providing for every aspect of an adult's life.  It means attending to the details that are unique to the senior stage of life and other situations that necessitate adult care.  The reasons for this type of care may be basic stage of life, as in elder care, or may include special needs such as dementia care or Alzheimer's care.

Understanding all that goes into care for elderly persons is almost as rigorous a task as providing that older adult care but is a necessary first step.  The many types of facilities that provide adult care assistance follow.

When you care for older adults, there are many options for living situations.  The choice between them may depend upon their desires and their ability to perform daily tasks.  Some seniors need little assistance while others need intensive care and constant monitoring.

Adult community care and adult care homes both find their places of service among facilities and individuals providing adults care.  So which adult care home is right for you or your loved one?

Adult residential care homes provide assistance with meals, a room, and general supervision but provide little adult nursing services.  This is the answer for senior living when an adult is unable to live independently but does not require the full medical care provided by private nursing homes.

Adult care homes are designed for those who require around the clock supervision and who need assistance with daily activities.  They may receive assistance with taking medications.  Residents may receive some senior health care although this tends to be the exception.

Adult care homes are yet another step on the ladder between complete independence and complete dependence upon staff to provide a healthy, supportive environment.

Another option in senior living is that of private nursing homes. These provide all the above services as well as adult nursing services.

These private nursing homes care for older adults who cannot live independently and who require medical care. Alzheimer's care or dementia care may be provided either in an assisted living facility or in a nursing home.

If you would like to consider adult care home options then know that you do not need to assume full responsibility all of the time.  You can take advantage of adult day care programs.

An adult day care center creates an environment where adult care services include a variety of activities along with planned meals and snacks in a positive, interactive environment.  Adult day care centers give seniors a chance for social interaction while allowing their caregivers time off from the responsibility of caring for their loved ones.

Adult day care is the perfect answer to those who wish to provide senior living care at home. The unrelenting demands of caring for an elderly loved one can wear down caregivers when a senior's needs are attended to without a break.

Adult day care centers give an already needed amount of social interaction and allow seniors to get out of the house to give them a chance to use their minds and social skills.  Senior adult day care at an adult day care center allows seniors and family members time apart to grow and regroup so that they may enjoy their time together without feeling as much of the pressure that comes with caring for a loved one.

Similarly, respite care gives caregivers a break. It is more flexible than the predetermined schedule of an adult day care center. It can occur in the home or at another location. It is a short term way for caregivers to ensure that their loved ones are taken care of while giving the caregivers a break from their having to care for the elderly around the clock.

Adult respite care provides the support necessary to maintain care at home without having to maintain this care endlessly.  Everyone needs a break sometimes, and caregivers can use this option to rest.  Adult respite care is ideal if you want to take a vacation or just have a few days without all the responsibility of elder care.

An assisted living facility is the choice for older adult care when you are trying to maintain as much independence as possible for as long as possible.  Individuals in this type of adult health care facility may require assistance with daily tasks but do not require constant care or supervision.

Facilities such as this may offer some level of adult health care, but it is unlikely that it would be of the same level that you would find in a nursing home.  This facility is more of a transition from providing elder care at home to the level of care and supervision found in nursing homes.

An assisted living facility just gives seniors help where they need it.  Assisted living is just as it sounds.  It is for those who need a little assistance.

Retirement communities provide retirement care. A retirement community of this type provides individual access to services and the level of care that a particular individual needs to live.  A retirement community allows older adults care in that they live in a community of their peers.

Activities are arranged and there is a high level of independence while the retirement community setting is still mindful of their needs.  Retirement housing includes retirement homes situated together that allow residents of retirement communities to socialize in a comfortable and safe setting.

Retirement homes and retirement housing allow for a high level of independence while still transitioning seniors into a setting that is tailored to their special needs.  Retirement care settings allow individuals to continue living productive lives and continue pursuing interests in a setting that is conducive to their happiness and continued well being.

Adult care jobs include a variety of adult care service positions.  Adult community care continues to be a growing industry because as the baby boomers age, adult care services become more of a necessity.  Adult care jobs and related adult care assistance positions from senior adult day care to hospice care only begin to scratch the surface of the adult care service industry.

Seniors and their families have options when choosing how to spend their senior years.  You could choose an adult day care center, adult residential care, hospice care, adult care homes, or choose from many other senior health care and senior living options.  The spectrum of adult care services surely has the right option for you.

by Julie-Ann Amos, professional writer, and owner of international writing agency www.ExquisiteWriting.com

Why not create your own HubPages? It's fun and you can make revenue from Adsense and other revenue streams on your pages. JOIN HUBPAGES NOW - SIMPLY CLICK HERE...

This work is licenced under the Creative Commons Attribution-Non-Commercial-No Derivative Works 3.0 Unported License. To view a copy of this licence, visit http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/3.0/ or send a letter to CreativeCommons, 171 Second Street, Suite 300, San Francisco, California94105, USA.