It isn’t uncommon for adults younger than 65 to find themselves in need of nonmedical physical, mental and/or emotional support. In these instances, there’s adult care, which can provide a variety of services.
Ultimately, adult care provides “assistance with activities of daily living to help adults aged 18-64 get through the normal functioning of the days,” explains Jennifer Drake, account executive at the United Disabilities Services Foundation.
Adult care covers a lot in terms of what and for whom it provides. Here, experts offer insight into adult care services, options and more.
What is adult care?
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Adult care is a broad term that encompasses a number of care types. Different from senior care (more on this shortly), adult care is geared toward folks between the ages of 18-64 who need support physically, mentally or emotionally.
Typically, adult care supports individuals with ”developing or debilitating chronic diseases and disabilities or who are having temporary health problems, such an injury,” explains Armen Gazaryan, chairman and medical expert at CallTheCare in Miami. “It engenders services aimed at helping adults with activities of daily living (ADLs), medication or specialized support to maintain the continuity of their lives.”
Depending on the situation, adult care can be either long or short term; and it is not, it should be noted, medical care.
On the other hand, senior care is the umbrella term “referring to the items, care and services provided to older adults [65+] to keep them at home, wherever they call home,” explains Jennifer Drake, an account executive at the United Disabilities Services Foundation. “This can be an apartment, home, assisted living, personal care home or skilled nursing facility.”
Types of adult care
To get a better idea of what adult care includes exactly, here’s an overview of the different types:
Short-term adult care
Most often, short-term care provides assistance rendered to adults who are recovering from sickness, injury, surgery or a hospital stay. “The goal of short-term care is to get people back on their feet,” Gazaryan explains. “It offers support temporarily until the patient becomes independent again and able to manage themselves regarding daily activities.”
Depending on a person’s recovery, short-term adult care can last anywhere between a few days to months, and can be either at home or a separate location.
Long-term adult care
Not dissimilar from short-term care in practice, long-term care, Drake explains, is “more complex care for those with progressing medical conditions.” These folks, she notes, are in need of more hands-on care and more resources.
Long-term care may be done at home, community centers or institutions meant for special care.
Health and safety adult care
Some adults who are recovering from an injury or illness (physical or mental), or who are currently dealing with one, need support in order to “remain safe wherever they call home,” Drake explains. This type of care can be “supervision for those who are fall risks, assistance with transferring or assistance with bathing and dressing.”
Companionship adult care
Just as companion caregivers provide company, as well as mental and emotional stimulation, to older adults, adult care companions essentially do the same for younger individuals. Typically, this form of care is geared towards adults with ongoing mental health issues, or who are experiencing an acute setback.
“This type of care is provided to an individual to help them get through the day with someone who is there for them,” Drake says. “It can help with depression and loneliness, and assist with brain health and mind stimulation, as well as emotional health.”
This form of care may include conversation, activities or simple companionship, according to Gazaryan.
Rehabilitation
Rehabilitation — or rehab — is a therapeutic service provided to adults who have become disabled due to an injury, surgical procedure or chronic condition, such as back pain. The purpose, Drake explains, is to help get the person back to a daily life that’s comfortable. (Rehab for substance abuse generally isn’t considered to be under the umbrella of adult care.)
Rehab typically includes “physical therapy, which will assist with exercises to help build muscle and strength and mobility, as well as occupational therapy, which helps with daily activities, such as cooking, housekeeping, dressing, bathing and meal prep.”
Special needs adult care
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Special needs care is care provided to adults with developmental, intellectual or physical disabilities and is catered to the individual. There are a number of forms of special needs care, including medical care, educational care and behavioral health care.
The goal, Gazaryan notes, is to help individuals reach their full potential and be more independent. This type of adult care can either be provided at or away from home, and in some cases, individuals have the option to live in a group or boarding home or assisted living center that also houses younger adults.
Medical care
Medical care, it should be noted, does not fall under the adult care umbrella, as this type of care always involves licensed professionals, such as physicians, nurse practitioners, etc. Medical care can mean routine checkups, medication prescription, wound care, medical support for chronic illnesses and more.
Paying for adult care services
Adult care services are not always covered by insurance or Medicaid, so it’s important to research coverage and price points before committing to anything.
“Insurance coverage for adult care services differs based on the kind of care involved, the insurance plan and the provider,” Gazaryan notes. “Medical care and rehabilitation services are covered under most health insurance policies, but companionship, long-term care and special needs care may not be, and they may even require a long-term care insurance policy.”
The bottom line
Adult care services are geared towards adults under 65 who are dealing with a wide variety of physical and/or mental ailments. Similar to senior care, adult care casts a wide net in terms of support options, so when trying to determine the right one, individuals should hone in on what they need, along with cost and coverage.
Says Gazaryan: “At the core, adult care seeks to provide an opportunity for each individual that requires its services to live as independently and as comfortably as possible.”
