Adult Day Care Center What

Adult Day Care Center

What does adult day healthcare (ADHC) offer to the public? According to the New York Health Department, ADHC is a service that is available daily, weekly or on a monthly basis; and it includes round-the-clock nursing care; a "clean, healthful, sheltered environment"; proper supervision by trained staff; activities and recreation; pharmacy and diagnostic services; assistance "with activities of daily living...including toileting, bathing, and feeding"; optometrist and physical therapy services; dental and doctor services; and access to catheters, syringes and needles, and "irrigation outfits" (New York Health Department).

In Brooklyn, New York, the Palms Gardens Center was built in 1970 and offers what it calls "...an unusual depth of knowledge and experiences" for elderly people who struggle on their own or have other reasons to need healthcare at this level, according to New Lifestyles Web site. One of the main purposes of the Palms Gardens Center is to give regular caregivers a break during the day, since many family members and friends who normally would assist an elderly person have to work during the day and cannot provide all-day services because of their jobs. Taking the patient to Palms Gardens Center for the day relieves that caregiver of the responsibilities for that period of time, and also there is a sense of security in knowing that professional healthcare is focused on one's elderly aunt, or parent, or friend.

The Palm Gardens Center offers new patients a "complete medical examination" along with an examination conducted by, according to www.palmgardencenter.comapsychiatrist, physicians, nurses, physical and occupational therapists, pathologist services for speech and language, social workers, dieticians and "discharge planners." These specialists are there at the initial entrance of the new patient not necessarily to make a positive impression but to set up a "treatment plan" for the arriving patient.

The Short-Term Rehabilitation Unit at Palm Gardens has 40 beds, rooms with private and semi-private accommodations, and a gymnasium. The rooms all have "large windows" so patients can enjoy plenty of natural light. The rooms are equipped with televisions, phone lines, a small refrigerator and pantry so snacks for the patient and visitors are close by at all times.

Is the Palm Gardens Center associated with any particular religion? No, the facility is "non-sectarian" - so patients of the Jewish faith, Christianity, Muslim and other faiths are all welcomed and should be comfortable without the pressure of having to go through rituals or traditions of a particular religion.

The modern equipment on site offers the latest in therapy for all patients. Palm Gardens has the following technologies: Ultra Sound, Kinetron, Paraffin Bath, Electrical Stimulation, Electric Standing Box, Kinetic Exercise Equipment and Electric Mats. The center has computers, parallel bars, and a therapy gym for working with the physical therapist.