FINDING SATISFACTION IN ADULT DAY-CARE - ANALYSIS OF A NATIONAL DEMONSTRATION OF DEMENTIA CARE AND RESPITE SERVICES

The effects of adult day care (ADC) operational choices on the satisfaction of informal caregivers were examined for 312 pairs of caregivers and care receivers from 10 case study sites that participated in the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation's national demonstration of Dementia Care and Respite Services. Cognitive, behavioral, and affective components of satisfaction were examined. Satisfaction was represented by measures of perceived affordability, length of stay, intensity of use, and caregiver well-being. Multivariate analyses indicated that controlling for other factors, program operational choices about nursing approaches, respite services, and activities programming had direct and interactive effects on satisfaction. The study concluded that dementia status is not a strong predictor of satisfaction with ADC, and the operational choices made by ADC programs can influence consumer outcomes, but no single choice accounts for all aspects of consumer satisfaction.