Open AccessImplications of the COVID-19 Pandemic on Adult Day Services and the Families They Serve
Author(s) -
Lauren Parker,
Katherine Marx,
Joseph E. Gaugler,
Laura N. Gitlin
Publication year - 2021
Publication title -
american journal of alzheimer's disease and other dementias
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.653
H-Index - 60
eISSN - 1938-2731
pISSN - 1533-3175
DOI - 10.1177/15333175211050152
Subject(s) - staffing , covid-19 , pandemic , closing (real estate) , mandate , service (business) , recreation , business , telephone survey , medicine , nursing , marketing , political science , finance , disease , pathology , infectious disease (medical specialty) , law
The COVID-19 pandemic forced adult day services (ADS) to close and abruptly end in-person services to clients. To understand the effect of the pandemic on ADS, a 20-item survey was used to examine services provided, staffing, finances, and plans to reopen. Data came from 22 sites participating in the Adult Day Service Plus a national randomized controlled trial. Of the 22 ADS sites responding to the survey, most (86.4%, n = 19) closed due to COVID-19 with nearly half closing due to a state mandate (52.6%, n = 10). Most sites reported the need to furlough or terminate staff (63.6%, n = 14). Services that sites continued to provide included telephone support (n = 22, 100%), delivery of food (n = 8, 36.4%), medical check-ins (n = 9, 40.1%), and activity via Zoom or YouTube (n = 14, 63.6%). Most of these services were provided without reimbursement. Adult day services have considerable potential as a platform for service innovation in community-based services.