The purpose of Adult Day Care Centers is to provide companionship and assistance to older individuals who need support in any form during the day. Families and caregivers can get relief from care giving through programs, and they can go to work, handle personal matters, or simply relax knowing their loved ones are well looked after.
As part of the programs, clients are encouraged to enhance their self-esteem and socialize to delay or prevent institutionalization. To begin with, we don’t treat disabled adults like disabled people; rather, we treat them as normal adults. Regardless of one’s physical condition, self-respect and self-confidence are important for every human being; that’s why we strive to uphold them.
This is a list of some of the rules we follow while caring for disabled adults at our adult day care center.
- We ensure that people with disabilities are treated as equals. Everyone wants to be with friends, have fun, and live to the fullest extent possible. The same applies to people with disabilities. You should never be afraid, hesitant, or embarrassed about approaching someone with a disability. Disabled people have just as much fun as anyone else!
- Asking before helping is always a good idea. People with disabilities vary in their level of independence, and you should never assume that those with disabilities are low-functioning. You should ask first whenever someone seems to be struggling; we do the same in our adult day care center. While a person may seem to need help, they may also ask for independence. Even if they seem to be struggling, they might be seeking independence, which requires practice in everyday situations. We let them practice different things, which seems easy for a physically fit body.
- It is never okay to assume someone has a disability or not. We are all unique. You may sometimes notice that people with disabilities act, feel, or think differently than you do. Treat each individual equally as an individual, not as someone who has a disability for this reason. We never give them extra attention unless they require it. This way, we help them to build self-confidence.
- Be careful not to stare. New or old, we never look at disabled people in a discomforting way. Individuals with disabilities also live normal lives, just like everyone else. It’s fine to look, but do not stare at someone with a disability.
- Confidentiality should be respected and understood, and we follow this. We respect the privacy of people with disabilities. Disability is not something they are obliged to disclose. We always ask permission to discuss the disability, and if the person is okay, we listen to their story very patiently.
The above rules help us to know them in a better way. Other than normal things like giving food and medicine on time, at disability day care center Iliff we follow the above rules strictly to make our space a happy place for everyone.