Evaluating the Effectiveness of Adult Day Care on Alleviating Caregiver Stress/Burden

Though not extensive, the literature points to the efficacy of Adult Day Care (ADC) in alleviating stress on caregivers in several and differing ways. In line with this evidence, the findings from the evaluation of Northwest Focal Point’s (NWFP) ADC program conducted by the Florida Atlantic University Evaluation Team indicates that ADC provides necessary relief and reduces the strain of caregiving on caregivers. Two measurement instruments: one to measure the level of caregiver strain and one to measure the effectiveness of ADC in alleviating this strain comprising five dimensions of caregiving strain and five dimensions of ADC impact in reducing strain were used to evaluate NWFP ADC program effectiveness. Whereas findings indicated that the ADC reduced caregiving strain in most dimensions, the evaluation pointed to the greatest impact of ADC was in increasing caregivers’ confidence to provide care. Another significant impact identified in the evaluation related to the ADC reducing the caregivers’ loved one dependence on the caregiver. Florida Public Health Review, 2016; 13, 6-23 BACKGROUND One of the major goals of Adult Day Care (ADC) is caregiver respite. Yet, ADCs are closing and attendance is declining in face of increasing recognition of the impact of ADC on the lives of caregivers. Whereas ADC also impacts the loved ones of caregivers who actually attend ADC facilities, this evaluation focused on the efficacy of ADC in providing respite and easing the strain of caregivers. The National Adult Day Services Association (NASDA), other Adult Day programs, and literature at times refer to Adult Day Care programs as Adult Day Services (ADS). Both ADS and ADC will be used interchangeably during this paper and indicate the same type of program. Unless stated otherwise, reference to Northwest Focal Point (NWFP) relates to the ADC program. Stress, strain and burden are also used interchangeably throughout this report. Executive Summary and Background A Florida Atlantic University (FAU) Evaluation Team partnered with NWFP ADC for 10 weeks to evaluate the efficacy of the ADC program in alleviating the strain of caregivers. The FAU Evaluation Team constructed and implemented a Caregiver Assessment Instrument (Appendix A) to measure the level of caregiver strain and an ADC Assessment Instrument (Appendix B) to measure the impact of ADC on easing caregiver strain. The ADC program administered by NWFP Senior Center was approached because of its highly rated program. The efficacy of the ADC program was assessed in line with five different dimensions: alleviating caregiver stress; enhancing caregiver ability (confidence) to provide care; providing a relevant (respite) resource; decreasing care recipient dependency on caregiver; and providing a positive impact on the caregiver’s life. Related goals included increased education and information for caregivers and producing information to: • Make evidence-based decisions; • Improve program quality; • Provide relevant information and data for improved decision-making; • Encourage outreach to potential clients; • Increase funding sources; and