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Service use and financial performance in a replication program on adult day centers
B V Reifler1, N J Cox, B N Jones
1Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Medicine, Wake Forest University School of Medicine, Winston-Salem, NC 27157-1087, USA. breifler@wfubmc.edu
Summary
Adult day centers offering dementia services saw significant improvements in enrollment, census, and financial performance over four years. Both grant support and technical assistance led to similar gains in these key areas.
Area of Science:
- Gerontology
- Health Services Research
- Nonprofit Management
Background:
- Adult day centers provide crucial support for individuals with dementia and their caregivers.
- The Partners in Caregiving: The Dementia Services Program aimed to enhance services for this population.
- Understanding service utilization and financial performance is key to sustainability for these centers.
Purpose of the Study:
- To evaluate the impact of grant support and technical assistance on adult day centers.
- To analyze changes in service utilization (enrollment, census) over a four-year period.
- To assess the financial performance of participating centers.
Main Methods:
- A cohort of 48 adult day centers participated in the study from 1992 to 1996.
- Centers received either grant funding or intensive technical assistance.
- Quarterly data on enrollment, census, revenue, and expenses were collected and analyzed.
Main Results:
- Significant increases in enrollment and census were observed across all centers.
- Financial performance, measured by the percentage of cash expenses met through operating revenue, also improved significantly.
- Both grant-supported and technical-assistance sites demonstrated comparable rates of improvement.
Conclusions:
- Targeted support, including grants and technical assistance, can lead to substantial gains in adult day center operations.
- Improved marketing and financial management strategies are vital for enhancing service utilization and financial stability.
- The findings underscore the potential for growth and sustainability in dementia care services.