Adult Day Care: Where Do Adults With Severe Disabilities Go

Families often carry the responsibility of care for decades. Parents age. Health changes. Burnout sets in. And eventually, many families reach a moment they never wanted to face.

What happens when an adult with severe disabilities can no longer be supported at home?

This question comes up most often for adults with severe autism, intellectual disabilities, serious mental illness, or complex medical needs. The answers are not simple. They depend on resources, location, staffing, and access to long term support systems.

Below is a clear breakdown of the real options families encounter, and where the system succeeds and fails.

The Most Common Living Options for Adults With Severe Disabilities

Family Care, Until It Is No Longer Possible

Many adults with disabilities live with parents or relatives well into adulthood.

This arrangement often ends due to:

Advanced age of caregivers
As parents and caregivers grow older, they may no longer have the stamina, mobility, or physical strength required to provide daily hands on care.

Declining health
Chronic illness, injury, or cognitive changes can limit a caregiver’s ability to consistently manage medications, appointments, and daily routines.

Physical demands that exceed what a family can safely provide
Some adults require lifting, mobility assistance, personal care, or constant supervision that puts caregivers at risk of injury or burnout.

Behavioral challenges that escalate over time
Behaviors such as aggression, impulsivity, or emotional dysregulation may intensify with age, stress, or unmet needs, making care more complex and harder to manage at home.

When this support collapses without a plan in place, outcomes can be harsh.

Group Homes and Adult Residential Care

Group homes are one of the most common long term solutions for adults who need consistent supervision, structure, and behavioral support.

A properly run adult residential care home offers:

24 hour staffing
Trained staff are on site at all times, day and night, to provide supervision, respond to emergencies, and support daily needs without gaps in care.

Medication support
Staff assist with medication reminders, safe storage, and coordination with healthcare providers to help residents follow prescribed treatment plans.

Behavioral oversight
Licensed professionals monitor behaviors, identify triggers, and apply consistent strategies to reduce risk, support emotional regulation, and maintain a stable environment.

Life skills development
Residents build practical skills like personal care, communication, cooking, and money basics based on their abilities and personal goals.

Social and community engagement
Structured activities help residents stay connected through outings, social interaction, and participation in the local community to reduce isolation and improve quality of life.

Not all group homes are equal. Staffing shortages and underfunding can impact quality, which is why licensing, longevity, and clinical oversight matter.

This is where organizations like Center for Behavioral Change step in with a different model. CBC provides structured, home like environments supported by Licensed Behavioral Consultants, Registered Behavioral Technicians, and Direct Support Professionals.

Supported Living and In Home Aides

Some adults can live in apartments or shared housing with outside support.

This option works when:

The individual can manage some daily tasks
The person can complete parts of their daily routine, such as basic hygiene, meal prep, or household tasks, with limited assistance or prompting.

Behavioral needs are stable
Behaviors are predictable, manageable, and do not require constant intervention, crisis response, or intensive behavior planning.

Reliable staff are available
Consistent caregivers are scheduled and able to show up as planned, providing continuity of care rather than frequent turnover or missed shifts.

The reality is that staffing shortages often make this option unstable. Many families report long waits, inconsistent aides, or no providers available at all.

Assisted Living, With Major Limitations

Assisted living facilities are often misunderstood. Most assisted living communities:

Do not accept adults with severe autism
Many assisted living facilities are designed for seniors and are not licensed or staffed to support adults with severe autism, especially when communication, sensory needs, or behaviors require specialized care.

Do not support complex behavioral needs
These facilities typically lack behavioral specialists and structured behavior plans, making them unable to safely manage aggression, self injury, elopement, or significant emotional dysregulation.

Are not equipped for intensive supervision
Most assisted living settings do not provide constant monitoring or high staff to resident ratios, which are necessary for individuals who need ongoing observation, redirection, or immediate intervention.

A small number accept younger adults, but this is the exception, not the rule, and typically requires significant private funding.

The Outcomes Nobody Wants to Talk About

When services fail or access is delayed, adults with severe mental illness or developmental disabilities face serious risks.

These include:

Housing instability
Frequent moves, temporary placements, or loss of housing due to lack of appropriate support, leading to ongoing uncertainty and disruption.

Repeated hospitalizations
Multiple emergency room visits or psychiatric admissions caused by unmanaged medical or behavioral needs rather than long term, coordinated care.

Homelessness
Lack of stable housing when support systems fail, sometimes resulting in living on the street, in shelters, or cycling through short term placements.

Involvement with the criminal justice system
Contact with law enforcement or incarceration related to behaviors that stem from unmet mental health or developmental support needs rather than criminal intent.

These outcomes are not due to lack of effort by families. They are the result of systems stretched too thin and support arriving too late.

Why Staffing and Structure Matter More Than Location

Across states and service models, the same issue appears again and again.

• There are not enough trained professionals.
• Pay is often low.
• Burnout is high.
• Turnover disrupts care.

A residential program only works if the environment is stable and the staff understand behavior, trauma, and long term support needs.

CBC has been operating since 1988. That longevity matters. It means systems are in place, staff are trained, and care is built around consistency rather than crisis.

What a Strong Adult Residential Program Actually Provides

At Center for Behavioral Change, care is not just supervision. It is structured support designed to help residents live fuller lives.

Life Skills Training

Residents work on daily living skills based on personal goals, not one size fits all expectations.

Educational Programs

Learning does not stop in adulthood. CBC partners with trusted programs to keep residents mentally engaged and progressing.

Community Activities

Isolation makes behavioral challenges worse. Residents participate in tailored community activities that support social connection.

Parent and Family Resources

Families stay informed, involved, and supported. Placement does not mean disappearance.

Planning Early Changes Outcomes

Families who wait until a crisis have fewer choices.

Early planning allows time to:

• Explore residential options

• Coordinate with regional and state services

• Transition gradually rather than urgently

For families in Los Angeles County, especially those near Pomona and West Covina, knowing what licensed residential care looks like can change everything.

A System That Still Needs Work, And Providers Who Step Up Anyway

Not every country approaches disability care the same way. Some offer more comprehensive national systems. Others rely heavily on families and fragmented programs.

In California, progress exists, but gaps remain. Organizations like Center for Behavioral Change exist because families need real solutions, not waitlists and paperwork loops.

The goal stays simple. Help people live their biggest and best lives, safely, with dignity, and with support that does not disappear when things get hard.