Living with dementia in communities with senior centers providing access to adult day health and social services was associated with fewer hospitalizations and lower health care use and Medicare costs, according to researchers from Rutgers University-New Brunswick and the University of Massachusetts Boston. The results, published in Heath Affairs Scholar, underscore the potential of senior centers in minimizing health care costs and acute care usage among those with dementia, particularly in smaller communities where centers provide access to such services.

“Our findings provide evidence to support the growing interest in increasing funding for community-based organizations to improve health,” said Emily A. Greenfield, professor of social work and director of the Hub for Aging Collaboration at the Rutgers University School of Social Work. “Importantly, our work provides empirical evidence to support the recognition of senior centers as community-based assets with the potential to bring value to healthcare systems.”

Adult day health services offer specialized clinical care for community-dwelling older adults, including nursing services, health monitoring, medication administration, and occupational therapy. Social adult day services provide social and recreational activities in a supervised setting for people with mild to acute conditions. Unlike adult day health services, social adult day services aren’t licensed to provide clinical care.

The researchers said there is widespread agreement and interest among policymakers and practitioners about the role of community-based services in enhancing health outcomes among individuals living with dementia and their caregivers, though few studies have explored the impact of programming offered in senior centers on health outcomes among people living with dementia. To read the full story.