An understanding of adult day service centers’ (ADC) impacts on clients’ health and well-being has been hampered by a lack of large-scale data. Standardizing data collection is critical to strengthening ADC programs, demonstrating their effectiveness, and enabling them to leverage additional funding streams beyond Medicaid. We distributed an electronic survey on current data collection efforts to ADCs nationally to determine categories of data ADCs are collecting related to clients’ health. In our sample ( N = 248), only 32% of ADCs collected patient-level data for research and analysis—most commonly on activities of daily living, cognition, nutrition, and caregiver strain. However, validated assessment tools were used in less than 50% of the cases. ADCs are willing to collect data: More than 70% reported a willingness to participate in future studies. National studies piloting data collection protocols with uniform outcome measures are needed to advance the understanding of ADCs’ capabilities and impacts.
Adult Day Service Centers (ADCs) are a form of community-based long-term care that address frail older adults’ health and social needs. Due to their congregate nature and participants’ compromised health, many ADCs have been forced to temporarily shutter during the COVID-19 pandemic. It is unknown how closures have impacted service delivery at ADCs. Guided by the Resiliency Framework, we (1) explore methods employed by ADCs during the pandemic to meet participant/caregiver needs and (2) determine how/whether these methods have mitigated the negative effects of ADC closures on participants and their caregivers. Both virtual focus groups and one-on-one semi-structured qualitative interviews were conducted with ADC staff members (n=20) across the United States. Preliminary results showed precipitous declines in physical, cognitive, and mental health of participants, as well as increased caregiver strain, particularly among dementia caregivers. However, ADCs found creative solutions to care for participants despite restrictions, creating, in their words, “centers without walls.” Staff developed virtual programs (e.g. support groups, music and exercise therapy) and conducted “door-step” visits to support productive engagement and combat loneliness. Telehealth supported care coordination and identification of emergent clinical problems. Results suggest that despite innumerable COVID-19-related challenges, ADCs demonstrated resilience and creativity in managing participants’ needs, fostered a sense of purpose, and provided caregiver respite. Further research on the effectiveness of remote programming and advocacy for sustainable reimbursement by payers is needed to ensure that ADCs can continue to provide older adults and their families with meaningful support as the pandemic wears on.
Aim: To present options for management of errors resulting from the cryopreservation of large volumes of semen samples and long freezeto-thaw intervals. Background: The cryopreservation of gametes is on the rise owing to its established safety and efficiency. Case description: We present a challenging case at our center of a lost semen vial due to a broken cryocane and a systematic approach to locating it. Conclusion: Systematic troubleshooting can help locating misplaced gamete samples in high-volume centers. Clinical significance: New guidelines for containment systems is the need of the hour.
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