Adult day services centers are a key provider of long-term care services in the United States. They provide a program of activities, health monitoring, socialization, and assistance with daily activities which allows individuals to continue to lives in their homes and receive needed care in a supportive, professionally staffed, community-based setting.

Adult day services also benefit family caregivers by enabling them to remain in the workforce or receive needed respite and by providing them with direct services (e.g., educational programs, support groups). They provide cost-effective cost-effective care, while supporting individual autonomy, allowing individuals to “age in place,” and enhancing the quality of life for both participants and family caregivers.

With the projected growth in the older population and resulting increase in the numbers of individuals who require long-term care, the need for community-based providers such as adult day services centers will continue to grow. Disability not only impacts the individual, but also the family members and friends who provide care and assistance. The costs of caregiving can include physical, emotional and financial tolls that impact individuals, families and society (e.g. lost productivity, premature nursing home placement).

Key findings from The MetLife National Study of Adult Day Services provide a picture of the important role adult day services play in meeting the care needs of today’s population.