Avoiding Caregiver Burnout: Respite Care
For many, the challenges of caring for a loved one are a part of everyday life. Caregiving can be a demanding, strenuous job and no one should have to handle it alone. Seeking support and maintaining your health before you become exhausted, isolated, or overwhelmed is essential for your loved one.
Respite care is a critical part of the overall support that families may need to keep their child, parent, or loved one with a disability or chronic illness at home. Respite care comes in many forms; however, it is essentially sharing the responsibility for caregiving while also getting support for yourself in the process. As the name implies, it provides short term breaks or periods of ‘respite’ from your daily responsibilities that help to relieve stress, restore energy, and promote balance in your life.
Respite services are typically offered through community organizations, homecare agencies, such as CareFocus Companion Services, or residential care facilities. The most common respite care services are in-home care and adult or child day centers. Some of the services that are typically offered in our out-of-home include:
In-home respite
• Informal family support and relief
• Online caregiver communities and video workshops
• Volunteer or paid companionship
• Personal care or skilled health assistance
• Homemaker services to help with laundry, shopping, and preparing meals
Out-of-home respite
• Adult or child day programs
• Residential respite care
• Caregiver support groups
• Caregiver retreats or respite camps
Regardless of the type of respite program you choose, the emphasis should be on gearing services toward the specific needs of your loved one. Assessing your loved one and family’s needs for the type, skills, frequency, and location of respite services is critical to your success. CareFocus Companion Services offers checklists and resources that can assist you in this process. While finding and successfully implementing respite care may seem like a lot of work, relief is not just important for you, it benefits all involved in the caregiving process.
For additional resources and information regarding respite care, you may want to contact state or local government agencies such as the State Department of Mental Retardation, Departments of Health and Human Services, or Social Services. You may also find disability or support groups such as The Arc, Autism Society of America , your local Area Agency on Aging , or the Brain Injury Association of America to be helpful in your search as well.
Respite care is not a luxury. It is necessary for the well-being of both you and your loved one. Contact your local CareFocus Companion office today to learn more.
Sources used:
http://helpguide.org/elder/respite_care.htm
http://www.autism-pdd.net/respite.html
http://www.alz.org/living_with_alzheimers_respite_care.asp
http://www.caring.com