Seniors Site

What Is Respite Care?

A caregiver’s job is 24/7, which means no ifs, no buts and sadly, it rarely gets better, instead most cases only gets worse overtime. If you are a primary caregiver to a spouse or a parent, you most probably know how hard it is emotionally, mentally and most of all, physically.  There are many aspects of your personal life that gets sacrificed, especially the social aspect of it. No matter how dedicated you are in fulfilling your duties, at some point, your body and mind are bound to crave a little time of your own. This, should not bother you as it is perfectly normal for a caregiver to feel that way. Believe it or not, giving in to the temptation will certainly improve the way you see things and will definitely renew you as a person.

So, how exactly can you do that when you don’t trust just about anyone to do the job for you, albeit temporarily? What you need is a respite care service. Respite care services are temporary, time-limited care services available for caregivers who have problems taking breaks since their seniors need round-the-clock care. Respite care services come in many forms. They can be done in-house or out-of-home, both have their own sets of pros and cons depending on the caregiver and the senior’s needs and comfort.

In-house respite care, as the title may suggest, is when someone comes in your home to relieve you of your duties. It can be a family member willing to sit in with your senior for a while during your absence or a volunteer from local caregiving communities. Skilled assistant, on the other hand, can be paid to look after your senior while you’re away. In an in-house respite care, there is no need to move your senior out of the house which can benefit seniors who are bedridden or have limited range of motion. However, you are not only leaving your senior at this person’s mercy but also your home so you must be very careful in choosing the right person to trust.

Out-of-home respite care is basically moving your senior to a place or facility where you can leave him or her for a couple of days in case of emergency or when you need to go out and there’s no one to look after the senior if he stays at home. There are day care programs for seniors which is ideal if you are looking for a respite care service for only a day or opt to avail respite care services from a residential respite care facility which caters to cared-for seniors needing a place to stay and sleep for days to weeks.