Worcester Senior AdvisorWhat is adult day health?
Adult day health is a daytime program with nursing oversight, meals, activities, personal care and often transportation, for older adults who live at home but need supervision or health monitoring during the day.
It is also one of the most effective forms of respite for family caregivers, and many programs have specialized dementia groups.
What does adult day health cost in Massachusetts?
CareScout's 2025 Massachusetts median is $112 a day, $29,120 a year for five days a week; MassHealth covers adult day health for eligible members, and the Home Care Program and Frail Elder Waiver can include day programs.
Private-pay families often use two or three days a week. Ask about half days, transportation from your town, and how the program handles memory loss.
Where are PACE day centers in Worcester County?
Fallon Health's Summit ElderCare runs PACE centers in Worcester (288 Grove Street), Leominster (55 Cinema Boulevard) and Webster (108 Thompson Road), combining a day center with a full medical team for enrolled participants.
What happens during a day at adult day health?
A typical day includes transportation, a health check by a nurse, meals and snacks, exercise, activities and help with personal care such as toileting or medications, with time for rest.
Programs report back to families, which can help catch health changes early, and many coordinate with a participant's doctor or home care agency so the same plan carries through the evening at home.
How do we find an adult day program near us?
Ask the Aging Services Access Point for the town, the council on aging and your parent's doctor; MassOptions at 1-800-243-4636 can also point to programs, and PACE participants attend Summit ElderCare's own centers.
Visit before enrolling, ask for a trial day, and confirm transportation covers your street.
Who is adult day health a good fit for?
Older adults who live with family or alone and need supervision, social contact, meals or health monitoring during the day, including many people with mild to moderate dementia, and whose caregivers need time to work or rest.
Ask for a trial day. Programs differ in size, in how they group participants by ability, and in whether they can help with toileting, medications and transportation from your town.
At a glance
| Adult day health in Massachusetts is | Adult day health in Massachusetts is not | |
|---|---|---|
| Who | Adults living at home who need daytime supervision | A residential setting |
| Cost | $112 a day at the 2025 state median | Covered by Medicare |
| PACE | Day centers in Worcester, Leominster and Webster | Open to people not enrolled in PACE |
