Exploring the Purposes of Adult Day Programs from Directorial Staff Perspectives

Adult Day Programs (ADPs) provide supervised recreational services to community-dwelling older people living with chronic conditions and their caregivers. Generally accepted ADP purposes exist; however, findings are mixed regarding the appropriateness of these purposes and the ability of ADPs to meet them. ADP directors perspectives are also often missing from ADP literature. An exploratory sequential mixed methods study with integrated knowledge translation was used to answer three research questions: 1) What are the purposes of ADPs as perceived by ADP directors? 2) What factors enable ADP directors pursuit of the purposes? and 3) What factors challenge ADP directors pursuit of the purposes? Findings substantiated existing ADP purposes and discovered nuances. Several enablers of and challenges to directors pursuit of ADP purposes were identified. Clearer understanding of ADPs roles for clients, caregivers, and the health care system, and what makes these roles easier and harder to pursue, helps to modernize and optimize health care.