---
title: "What Is Adult day care? Home Care Glossary | HomeCare.com"
description: "Adult day care is a community program that gives adults supervised daytime care outside the home. Centers offer activities, meals, and sometimes health..."
url: https://homecare.preview.multisites.ai/glossary/adult-day-care/
publisher: HomeCare.com
phone: 800-974-3458
start: https://care.homecare.com/?source=homecare.com
---

Types of care

# Adult day care

Adult day care is a community program that gives adults supervised daytime care outside the home. Centers offer activities, meals, and sometimes health services. Participants go home at night. The program also gives family caregivers a break during the day. Medicare does not pay for it, but Medicaid and other programs may.

## Why it matters for your family

Adult day care suits people who should not be alone all day but do not need a care home. It offers company, structure, and activities. Many centers also give meals, exercise, and basic health services. For a caregiver who works or needs rest, it can be a steady source of relief. Programs vary. Some focus on social activity, while others offer more health care. Visit more than once and ask about staffing, safety, and dementia experience. Cost and coverage differ by state and program. A local Area Agency on Aging can list options.

Source: [nia.nih.gov](https://www.nia.nih.gov/health/caregiving/services-older-adults-living-home)

## Related terms

-   [**Respite care**Respite care is short-term care that gives a family caregiver a break.](https://homecare.preview.multisites.ai/glossary/respite-care/)
-   [**Dementia care**Dementia care is support for people with memory loss and other thinking problems that disrupt daily life.](https://homecare.preview.multisites.ai/glossary/dementia-care/)
-   [**Area Agency on Aging (AAA)**An Area Agency on Aging is a public or private nonprofit agency that a state designates to meet the needs of older adults in a local area.](https://homecare.preview.multisites.ai/glossary/area-agency-on-aging/)
-   [**Family caregiver**A family caregiver is a relative, partner, friend, or neighbor who gives unpaid help to someone with an illness, disability, or age-related needs.](https://homecare.preview.multisites.ai/glossary/family-caregiver/)
-   [**Medicaid**Medicaid is a joint federal and state health coverage program for people with limited income and resources.](https://homecare.preview.multisites.ai/glossary/medicaid/)
-   [**Aging in place**Aging in place means staying in your own home as you get older.](https://homecare.preview.multisites.ai/glossary/aging-in-place/)

[All glossary terms](https://homecare.preview.multisites.ai/glossary/)

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