DayCare Benefits for Elderly People
Outline
Topic:Day care benefits for elderly people
Objective:To discuss the benefits that the elderly people in need of long-termcare services can get from adult day care facilities and music.
Thesis:The adult day care facilities enhance the overall well-being of theelderly people through a set of supervised physical activities andsocialization, while music creates a healing environment thatfacilitates psychological and physiological stimulation.
Older adults are more vulnerable to chronic diseases (such as cardiovascular illnesses, diabetes, arthritis, and cancer) than the younger people (Cordon, 2008).
These diseases affect their mental as well as the physical well-being, but they can be more effectively addressed when older adults enroll with adult day care centers (Cordon, 2008).
A rise in life expectancy is characterized by an increase in the prevalence of chronic conditions among older adults and demand for care services for those who have lost the ability to engage in activities of daily living (Brown, Friedman & Mauro, 2014).
About 1.4 million seniors live in the nursing homes while about 19 million of the older adults need long-term support at home as well as community settings (Brown, Friedman & Mauro, 2014).
Adult day care facilities provide the seniors with the long-term care through health-related and social services.
Olderadults benefit from adult day care facilities in several ways,including an improvement in their overall health and increase in thesense of independence.
Preview of the main points
Benefits of adult day care
Improvement in the overall health
Adult day care centers are facilities that are established to help the seniors lead a satisfying life, in spite of their vulnerability to diseases.
Physical exercises that are performed under the supervision of qualified instructors ensure that the seniors remain active by engaging in beneficial activities (Cordon, 2008).
The seniors are guided through a series of exercises that are tailored to their needs, which help them acquire balance and achieve physical stimulation (Cordon, 2008).
Adult day cares provide a platform on which seniors suffering from similar health challenges can meet and find an opportunity to socialize with people of their age, who are going through similar experiences (Cordon, 2008).
Physical exercise in teams increases the social as well as the psychological well-being of older adults since they engage in these activities in teams that provide them with companionship and motivation (Cordon, 2008).
A requirement that older adults should count loudly as they continue with the exercise enhances their mental and the memory capacity (Cordon, 2008).
Preservation of independence
The majority of older adults suffering from chronic conditions lose their independence once they fail to do the activities of daily living on their own and start relying on caregivers or family members.
Adult day care is an effective tool that preserves the independence of older adults, which is accomplished by imparting the seniors with occupational skills that help them adapt to their environment, cope with their health challenges, and be willing to perform activities in a different way (Cordon, 2008).
The adult day care facilities reduce over-reliance on caregivers and family members by training the seniors on how to flush the toilet, zip their trousers, and pick items from different locations, which allow them to develop the sense of independence (Cordon, 2008).
Most of the adult day care facilities offer day-short or day long programs that give older adults a chance to leave their houses and engage socially in several activities with other seniors (Cordon, 2008).
The elderly people yearn for independence and the ability to continue leading a normal life, which is made possible by adult day care facilities that allow individual seniors to be their own in a caring and safe environment (Cordon, 2008).
In most cases, adult day care allows the seniors to take control over the activities that they engage in while in the facilities, which also increase the sense of independence (Cordon, 2008).
Musicis mainly used a source of entertainment, but it can also enhance thestimulation (both psychological and physiological) and an environmentfor recovery.
Music as a form of entertainment
Psychological and physiological stimulation
Music is mainly considered as a tool for entertainment, but it also plays a critical role in enhancing the overall well-being of the listeners, which is achieved through an improvement in the process of recovering from chronic health conditions and the ability to manage lifelong illnesses.
The healing properties of music come from its unique blending and organization of sounds that stimulate psychological as well as the physiological responses of the seniors, which enhance their mental well-being (Murrock & Bekhet, 2016).
Additionally, music provides a communal experience, especially when the seniors find a chance to sing in choirs (Sorrell & Sorrell, 2008).
The use of music during aerobic exercises maximizes psychological and physiological stimulation since the seniors get entertained as they proceed with their physical exercise (Sorrell & Sorrell, 2008).
Music results in the release of hormones (endorphin) that reduce pain, which is critical for the seniors suffering from the post-surgery health conditions (Murrock & Bekhet, 2016).
Music can also stimulate the autonomic nervous system, which increases the capacity of the listener to achieve optimal metabolic and biological functions, such as electric conductivity, respiration, heart rate, and blood pressure (Murrock & Bekhet, 2016).
Provision of a healing environment
The environment in which one live plays a critical role in facilitating the healing process and improving the overall well-being.
Music is considered as a medium for health and wellness because it provides a healing environment for older adults (Murrock & Bekhet, 2016).
Music allows the seniors to forget about their challenges, address their difficult feelings, and increase their social competence (Ahonen-Eerikäinen, Rippin, Sibille, Koch & Dalby, 2007).
The use of music in a group therapy process increases the social skills and intimacy of the members, which reduce a feeling a shame, helplessness, and loneliness (Ahonen-Eerikäinen et al., 2007).
An increase in social skills and intimacy is achieved because music therapy involves a lot of communication, teamwork, and interaction among all members (Ahonen-Eerikäinen et al., 2007).
A healing environment created by music increase self esteem and confidence among the elderly people because it gives them an opportunity to be heard, express themselves, interact with other seniors, and socialize with their therapists (Ahonen-Eerikäinen et al., 2007).
Bysupporting the establishment of more adult day care centers and theuse of music therapy we can help our seniors live healthy and leadmore fulfilling lives.
Conclusion
The adult day care facilities improve the overall health of older adults who need long-term care services by providing them with opportunities to socialize and engage in supervised physical activities, while music stimulate them physiologically and psychologically.
A rise in life expectancy has increased the population of older adults, who are more vulnerable to long-term health conditions than the young people.
The increase in demand for long-term care creates the need for the establishment of adult day care centers to help the seniors lead a fulfilling life.
Older adults, who enroll with adult day care facilities, get an opportunity to engage in productive physical exercise with other seniors, which allow them to socialize and encourage each other.
Adult day care centers have occupational therapy programs that increase the capacity of the seniors to perform activities of daily living on their own, thus increasing the sense of independence.
Music stimulates the seniors psychologically and physically, thus increasing their overall health.
References
Ahonen-Eerikäinen,Heidi, Rippin, Karie, B., Sibille, N., Koch, R., & Dalby, D.(2007). The Qualitative Analysis of the Role of Music, TherapeuticBenefits and Group Therapeutic Factors of the St. Joseph`sAlzheimer`s Adult Day Program Music Therapy Group. CanadianJournal of Music Therapy, 13(2),37-62. Retrieved fromhttp://search.proquest.com/docview/200568371?accountid=87314
Brown,L., Friedman, M., & Mauro, C. (2014). Use of adult day careservice centers in an ethnically diverse sample of older adults.Journalof Applied Gerontology,33 (2), 189-206.
Cordon,D. (2008). Geriatric psychiatry and fellowship programs in the UnitedStates. CareManagement Journals,9(4),180-185.
Murrock,J. & Bekhet, A. 2016). Concept analysis: Music therapy.Research and Theory for Nursing Practice, 30(1),44-59. doi:http://dx.doi.org/10.1891/1541-6577.30.1.44
Sorrell,J., & Sorrell,J. (2008). Music as a healing art for older adults. Journalof Psychosocial Nursing & Mental Health Services,46(3),21-24.