GuardiaCare’s Adult Day Health Center provides care to those over the age of 60 who have medical illness or dementia that requires monitoring and supervision.   Our services allow the elderly individual to continue to live in the community with family and delays or eliminates the need for nursing home placement.

A person enrolls in the program when the family realizes the need or his or her doctor recommends more structured care than the caregivers can manage on their own.   The daily cost is considerably less than half the cost of a long-term care facility.   Medicare does not pay for either nursing home care or for adult day care at the present time.   Our program director will sit down with each family to determine the best approach for payment of services according to each individual’s needs.

If the senior has long-term care insurance that covers the adult day services, we will utilize that source.   If there is no insurance, then the client’s income is reviewed to determine eligibility for the Medicaid Home and Community-Based Waiver.   If the individual is not eligible for Medicaid, but can demonstrate financial need, the agency will assist the family in submitting an application for funding from the KIPDA Area Agency on Aging.   Such assistance may include a co-payment.   If not eligible for governmental assistance, individuals or their families must pay from private funds.   To encourage full-time participation and to make the program more affordable, tuition is discounted for individuals paying privately who attend on a full-time basis.   We will work with the senior and family to ensure the best outcome for participation in the program.

The process for admission is dependent upon the method of payment.   Medicaid and KIPDA can take many weeks to complete all the requirements.   If the family can pay privately during this application process, the senior can be enrolled promptly.   In order to be admitted the Center must receive physician orders and a completed tuberculosis screening.   Staff can take care of getting both of these done, which usually takes 10 days.   Anyone interested in admission should phone the Program Director, Jan Smith, RN, at 585-9949, ext. 238.