Also commonly known as adult day services, is a non-residential facility providing activities for elderly and/or handicapped individuals. Some individuals are homeless, lets say in other words, there is no relatives of them and they are totally alone. But what about those individuals whom have a large or small relatives but still they left their elders under the mercy of this ‘adult daycare caretakers’. I think An Adult daycare center established by westerns which also merged in eastern countries too.
How many of us in favour of keeping our elders in such place?
What's wrong with a place where elderly can hang out for a few hours, and then come back to their own homes during the evening? Elderly need company and mental stimulation as well, where they can interact with people who share in their own experiences. Similarly, their families need to go to work, they need a break from taking care of their elders and this is a middle ground situation, where neither the elderly are ignored in their own homes alone, and they aren't put away in a nursing home away from their families either.
There are day care centers that are focused for certain special individuals as well, eg for patients with Alzheimers. Taking care of such a patient is a 24/7 duty, and it can take a toll on the family member who is doing it, and they are at a risk of depression. I'm sure anyone would agree that a person who is taking care of someone else shouldn't be the one getting depressed. Day care centers then allow those family members to take care of their affairs, clean the house, pay the bills etc while they are sure that their mother or father isn't in any danger and is in good company.
I don't like calling them adult daycares, but the idea behind them is great. Adults and especially elderly need to be given opportunities to connect and socialize with like-minded people. Creating an environment where they get together to talk, do crafts, read, play boardgames, discuss politics, go on outings or whatever, helps them feel vital.
Now for those people who say they would have this problem living in a joint family system - that's wrong. During the day, the son, DIL and grandchildren are at work and school, leaving the elderly bored at home. Not everything Western should be seen as an attempt to abandon our elderly - some of these resources are useful.
Adding to that, sometimes the kids aren’t willing to spend time with their parents. If you have a family which has recently brought their parents over from home, the parents’ main complaint is that they feel alone at home and bored. Back home they have extended family or friends or things they could do. So if there is such a place where they can go occasionally, it’s not a bad idea and it will prevent any depression that might come along.
They have Senior Centers in most places where you can spend your day with people your age and do activities such as games, movies, workouts, etc...
Personally, I think we need such facilities in our community. I'll give you an example, let's say my mom lives with me in the US. I stay home but I don't twiddle my thumbs all day right. I have errands to run, take care of a lot of things. Meanwhile, I can totally see my mom getting bored for lack of organized companionship. Of course we are there for her and are around, but admit it, how much time do we all have to sit all day and give company to our elders? So if at our masjid, for example, they put together a senior center where kids could drop of their parents for a few hours, a few days a week, where they could sit and chat, do creative activities, watch a show, it would bring a little change in their dull lives. Don't you think? We have to move away from calling every change a social evil, accept how as a community we have evolved...it's not the same as it was 10 years ago or back home where ladies would sit on the couch and command their maids what to cook and what vegetables to pick up from the vendor that shows up outside their homes. Here, everyone is busy. And we're only talking about a few hours...not dumping our parents.
Why to leave elders at daycare center when our spouse, kidz and other members of the family present at home. I am not in favour of daycare centers. It seems to me like to get rid from our elders and enjoy our life.
I prefer to take them with us rather than leaving at daycare center.
