Adult Day Care  (ADC) and Adult Day Health Care (ADHC) are programs that enable care for elderly or disabled individuals in a group setting. These settings create an environment for the delivery of care, social interaction, meals, activities and in some cases health care services. 

ADC and ADHC are becoming increasingly important because of the growing elderly population in the US (and worldwide) and a corresponding shortage of caregivers. The ability to care for multiple individuals with less staff, combined with the opportunity for social interaction and activities provides benefits to all involved parties.

The difference between Adult Day Care (ADC) and Adult Day Health Care (ADHC) is that in an ADC facility, the care is focused on activities and meals. By contrast Adult Day Health Care (ADHC) centers provide medical healthcare services.  

Another important and basically synonymous term is Adult Day Services (ADS). In fact the industry's national organization, NADSA, incorporates this into their full name which is The National Adult Day Services Association.

Lastly, please note that Adult Day Care (ADC) is often used to describe both kinds of care. For this reason we encourage you to study the details of any facility you are considering. 

The two biggest public health insurance programs in the US are Medicare (which provides health insurance ror elderly and disabled individuals) and Medicaid (which provides health and social care services to the poor.  Both of these programs are overseen by the US government's Committee for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS).

While Medicare is a national program that is administered at the federal level. Medicaid is administered at the state level, giving each state the ability to tailor its services to the needs of its citizens. This is why it's important to know the specific rules and implementation approach chosen by the state. 

The National Adult Day Services Associate (NASDA), maintains a directory of their member organizations. You can look for a center by clicking here.

They also have a nice guide to choosing a center.

If you need to learn more, consider visiting our Adult Day Care Reference Guide.