Question: What is an adult day center, and how can it help with my parents’ long-term care needs? Is there any way to get help with the costs?
Answer: For older adults who need supervised care throughout the day, an adult day center can offer some much-needed support. These nonresidential facilities provide services such as medical assistance, social interaction and organized activities for participants, who typically have some physical or cognitive impairment. And their adult child, spouse or other caregiver can use the time to work or take a break from their caregiving responsibilities.
Adult day center 101
Generally, there are three types of adult day centers. Social day centers primarily offer opportunities for attendees to interact with one another and participate in group activities. A medical day center also provides health-focused services, such as physical or occupational therapy. Specialized centers include services such as memory care or therapeutic exercises for those who have certain health conditions, such as dementia or Parkinson’s disease.
To find local day centers, Tia Sauceda, executive director of the National Adult Day Services Association, suggests using NADSA’s tool at nadsa.org/locator or the AARP-sponsored directory at communityresourcefinder.org (click on “Community Services”). Or ask your loved one’s doctor for recommendations. Once you’ve narrowed down a list of centers to consider, contact your state’s department of aging to verify that they are licensed, and visit them in person, says William Zagorski, president of American Senior Care Centers, in Nashville. Day centers typically require a doctor’s letter detailing the attendee’s health condition.
Financial assistance and tax breaks
According to a 2025 study from CareScout, a site families can use to search for care providers, adult day centers charge a median daily rate of $95. Some centers have additional fees for certain services, such as a certified nursing assistant providing showers, says Sauceda.
While original Medicare generally doesn’t pay for care at an adult day center, some Medicare Advantage (Part C) private insurance plans cover the expense. Medicaid, the government-provided health insurance for low-income Americans, may pay for day center care as well.
A specialized Medicare/Medicaid program that provides coverage for adult day center services is the Program of All-Inclusive Care for the Elderly (PACE). It aims to help older adults who need a nursing-home level of care to continue living in their homes and is offered in 33 states (find a list of them at npaonline.org/find-a-pace-program) and Washington, D.C.
A couple of other possible avenues for financial assistance: If your loved one has a long-term-care insurance policy, see whether care from an adult day center is included. Military veterans who are enrolled in the Veterans Affairs Medical Benefits Package and have a need for clinical care are eligible for coverage at an adult day center.
Don’t overlook tax breaks you may qualify for as a caregiver. If your loved one is unable to care for himself or herself and lives with you at least six months of the year, and you pay for them to attend a day center while you work or seek employment, you may be able to claim the child and dependent care tax credit. If your employer offers a dependent care flexible savings account, through which you can set aside pretax dollars to pay for a dependent’s care while you work, you may use those funds for day center care. (Note that you can’t use the same expenses your FSA reimburses to claim the child and dependent care tax credit.)
Ella Vincent is a staff writer at Kiplinger Personal Finance magazine. For more on this and similar money topics, visit Kiplinger.com.
©2026 The Kiplinger Washington Editors, Inc. Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC.
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