How to Choose the Right Adult Daycare: Tips from Oakwood Creative Care
January 21, 2025

Choosing the right adult daycare for a loved one can be a crucial decision. The ideal facility should offer more than just basic care – it should aim to enrich the lives of the older adults it serves and provide them with meaningful engagement. After all, our loved ones are more than just a statistic on a page or a number in a book; they are the people who nurtured and raised us. They deserve a place where they are seen as more than their diagnosis.

That is why, for Oakwood Creative Care, enhancing the quality of life for seniors and their families is more than just a day-to-day task – it’s our mission. So, if you or someone you know are currently searching for an adult day facility for a loved one to enjoy, consider these key factors inspired by Oakwood’s approach…

1. Find an Adult Daycare with Personalized Care Plans

Oakwood Creative Care Adult Daycare for Seniors with Dementia or memory loss

Every individual has unique needs, especially those dealing with cognitive or physical challenges like dementia or Parkinson’s disease. A quality adult daycare should offer personalized care plans that consider your loved one’s preferences, abilities, and challenges.

At Oakwood, the focus is on meeting each member where they are, fostering a sense of belonging and well-being through individualized attention.

2. Focus on Engagement & Enrichment

The key is finding engaging programs beyond traditional activities, like bingo or coloring books. Oakwood’s mission highlights the importance of art, music, movement, and lifelong learning, as we understand that while the mind may change, the heart’s yearning for connection and growth remains infinite. Oakwood also recognizes the gravity of surrounding older adults with independence-boosting and age-appropriate activities, which is a key factor in why we refer to our facilities as “clubs” and not “daycare.”

Oakwood Creative Care Adult Daycare brings purpose and joy to older adults with dementia and age-related challenges.

3. The Adult Daycare Must Have Compassionate & Trained Staff

Oakwood Creative Care Adult Daycare brings purpose and joy to older adults with dementia and age-related challenges.

Feel comfortable getting to know the staff within the facility. These are the trained professionals who will be providing hands-on and personalized care for your loved one. So, seek out a center like Oakwood with compassionate professionals who are not only skilled in caregiving but also trained in clear communication and understanding the complexities of each person’s situation. This is a vital step in fostering a supportive, safe environment while nurturing each club member’s joy and sense of self.

4. Prioritize a Safe & Stimulating Environment

While Oakwood aims to encourage independence amongst club members, we also recognize that a positive, safe environment is essential for everyone. This makes both physical and emotional safety a top priority. At Oakwood, this looks like creating spaces where older adults can move freely, interact with peers, and explore their interests while in a secure setting actively supervised by trained care professionals. This also looks like incorporating exercises and social interaction into daily routines, ensuring a stimulating environment to keep your loved one’s mind and body active.

Oakwood Creative Care Adult Daycare for Seniors with Dementia or memory loss

5. Community & Social Connection is Key!

Oakwood Creative Care Adult Daycare for Seniors with Dementia or memory loss

Isolation can be a significant issue for older adults suffering from memory loss. Adult daycare (or day clubs, as we hope you’ll call them!) can ensure all loved ones have ongoing opportunities to socialize and build relationships. Oakwood prides itself on a sense of community, helping club members form meaningful connections with others. After all, science has proven time and time again that social engagement can significantly improve mood, reduce anxiety, and enhance the overall quality of life!

Look Beyond the Name “Daycare”

Choosing the right adult daycare is about more than just meeting physical needs; it’s about finding new opportunities to experience the joy of a life well-lived, even after a diagnosis. At Oakwood Creative Care, we have moved beyond the traditional model of a Daycare. Your loved one deserves a dignified and enriching day experience, that’s why we call it a Club.  A day program should be more than a respite program; it can be a balanced approach to care that sparks JOY, promotes well-being, and provides a meaningful, fulfilling experience for everyone.

Connect with our Day CLUB in Central Mesa!

Located in the urban heart of the Mesa Arts District in Downtown Mesa, our Central Mesa Adult Day Club is a hotspot for creative and artistic expression. Here, we have been serving the  Mesa community for over 50 years — providing daytime care, engagement, and joy for adults with cognitive and physical difficulties related to aging.

Oakwood Creative Care Adult Day care for Seniors with Dementia or memory loss

Welcome

We're a nonprofit organization based in Mesa, Arizona with three senior day club locations (and a fourth on the way) which serve older adults with Alzheimer's, dementia, Parkinson's, and various other physical or cognitive challenges. Life does not end with a diagnosis. Our members continue to learn new skills, enjoy new discoveries, make friends, laugh, and live a joy-filled life. Our team of dementia experts lead support groups, events, classes, and private sessions with caregivers and families, guiding them on the best methods to care for their loved ones while also caring for themselves.


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