Respite means time off from any activity – whether that means a 10 minute coffee break or four hours of not having to give care to another.
One of our professional Care Managers met with a family caregiver who previously had no idea there were options for time off from caregiving, other than hiring a caregiver. She was quite surprised to hear about the different options that existed in the community to give her time off from caring for her husband.
There are many unique “respite” programs in our area that offer a range of four to eight hours of respite – designed for more dependent or older adults that actually are positive experiences for both partners.
Another option for families going out of the area is to hire a Care Manager to be your “on-call” sister/brother to oversee mom or dad while you are gone. The Care Manager is there to make decisions and ensure that your elders are well cared for and advocated for in the event should you be gone during a crisis. If they need 24/7 care, a trained caregiver can step in and give you the break you need – be sure to have the Care Manager for those unexpected times too!
A third option is to try an assisted living facility for a short stay – this option often feels like a vacation for the elder – with the three lovely meals and all the activities available.
Of course, you can design lots of ways to take time off that might differ from those that we discussed. The important thing to remember is that everyone needs a break – love just isn’t enough. You need to re-fuel, have your brakes checked. Maybe take a vacation or just having some plain old down time is what every family caregiver needs more of!
Self-care equates to better care for the person you love – just do it.
Click HERE to learn more about Eldercare Services.