Q. If I decide to send my mother to an adult day program, would I have to send her five days a week?
A. No. You can send her fewer days per week if you prefer.

Q. Since my mom’s stroke, she has difficulty feeding herself and getting to the bathroom. Can someone like her go to an adult day program?
A. Yes. Adult day programs are specifically for people with physical or mental limitations. Staff at these centers provide assistance with eating, walking, toileting and medications.

Q. I don’t drive any more. How would my husband get to the adult day center?
A. Many adult day centers provide transportation. Others can help arrange it.

Q. My mom’s Alzheimer’s can make her pretty difficult to handle. Will an adult day center accept her?
A. All our area’s adult day services programs serve people with early stage Alzheimers and some will take people whose disease is more advanced. If you believe your mother is not well enough for one of the standard adult day services facilities you may want to talk to the Feinstein Center in Cranston or the Cornerstone Alzheimer’s Center in Warwick. These two facilities specialize in caring for people with more advanced Alzheimer’s.

Q. If I don’t remind him, my dad forgets to take his medication. Will the people at a day center help with that?
A. Yes. Adult day centers have nurses on staff to make sure participants take their medication as needed. These nurses also monitor things like blood pressure and weight and how well a person is eating.

Q. Since my wife developed Alzheimer’s she seems to have difficulty doing much of anything. Won’t she be frustrated by the activities at the center.
A. Adult day centers offer plenty of activities especially for people with Alzheimer’s and other similar conditions. Participants are grouped by their abilities and interests. The goal is to engage people in activities they can enjoy and offer them things to do that they can complete successfully.

Q. I have a woman who comes in every day to stay with mom, fix her lunch and generally look after her. Isn’t that really better than sending her out to a center?
A. For some people it may be, but many other older people really enjoy being around a group of people – particularly people who share their tastes, values and memories. Many people who go to adult day centers also profit from the nursing care, exercise programs and special activities the centers offer.

Q. I love my father very much but even I get frustrated when he asks the same question 20 times or insists he hasn’t had dinner five minutes after he’s finished. Won’t strangers get annoyed with him?
A. The people who work at adult day centers are specially trained to understand the problems many older participants have. They have learned how to deal with repeated questions and other issues. And because there are usually several people working together they can help and support each other. So it’s often easier for them to deal with difficulties cheerfully than it might be for you.