An Examination of the Adult Day Services Industry Using the Resource Dependence Model within a Values Context

ABSTRACT

The adult day services (ADS) industry continues to grow and develop in providing care to larger numbers of older adults and their caregivers. Despite the growth in the number of programs and the changes in the way services are delivered, a systematic examination of the development of the ADS industry from a policy perspective has not been published since the mid-1990s. This article provides an analysis of the development of the ADS industry using the resource dependence model within a values-based context to determine whether public reimbursement opportunities are congruent with the needs of older adults and caregivers. Potential directions for the future development of the industry are presented through analysis of the collaborations of adult day providers with the providers of other services for older adults and the effort by public and private funders to connect quality outcomes and resources.

KEYWORDS:

• Adult day services
• adult day care
• long-term care policy
• resource dependence model
• values

The authors thank Dr. Rhonda J. V. Montgomery, Helen Bader Professor of Applied Gerontology, University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee, and Dr. Virginia Richardson, Professor, The Ohio State University, for their comments on previous drafts of this article.