What if my loved one doesn’t want to go to Adult Day Care?

Each day we provide tours for family members at Town Square Sarasota that ask this question. The family acknowledges the need for a break as a caregiver, and the need for their loved one to be out of the house and to get engaged in activities and be social, after too much isolation. The family sees our current members enjoying music, exercise, games, and more. Many times, the family also details that their loved one is very far along on their dementia journey and reluctant to leave the house at all. Even given this, as the caregiver readies to leave the tour, they say “Well, let me go home and talk to my husband/wife and see if they want to come”. We understand this – families can be nervous to make this type of decision BUT in most instances their loved one has lost their ability to advocate for themselves. We guide families in understanding that seniors with memory issues often prefer familiar environments, typically their own homes where they recognize their surroundings and experience minimal stimulation. By integrating Town Square Sarasota into their routine, families can provide their loved ones with significant benefits. Even given this we still receive the question:

So, how do you get your loved one to go to a new setting like Adult Daycare?

For those that have short-term memory loss and are reluctant, creativity is needed many times. We walk families through different scenarios so they see what might work:

• If the loved one is attached to their doctor, many times it is enough to say that the doctor wants them to get the engagement and socialization of Adult Day Care.
• Activities can serve as a great motivator. For example, you might say, “Let’s visit the senior center where you can join the choir today,” or “You can enjoy doing art at Town Square today.”
• Volunteer – Often, a loved one may feel nervous during the tour, but when we mention the opportunity to “volunteer” at Town Square, their desire to help others encourages them to attend.
• Veterans – Sometimes, veterans simply want to be around other veterans! We offer weekly veteran coffee hours for them to join.

We have seen many things work to get loved ones to come experience Town Square, and once they come, it is more than likely they will have fun, meet a friend, do something they love – and then they will be ready to come back!