They visited the Deerfield Center in Parkville, and once they were assured that Joe's therapy could continue onsite at the center, they signed up. After progressing from a wheelchair, to a walker, and now to a cane, Joe Heinlein eventually was able to leave Deerfield. Maintaining the sanity of caregivers is an important benefit of daycare services. Without respite, a caregiver often deteriorates much faster and becomes unable to care for their relative. Dr. Peter V. Rabins, a Johns Hopkins psychiatry professor and author of The 36-Hour Day, sees modern daycare centers as a missed opportunity for many families.
People wait to use daycare until it's too late.
They only get to use the center for two or three months before going into a nursing home. For Jacquie Perry and her mother Jessie, the benefits are clear. Getting up each morning with someplace to go, someone to see, and something to do is essential to my mother's happiness. And mine too.