Respite care can provide a much needed break for family caregivers and help avoid burnout. According to the AARP and NAC report, “Caregiving in the US 2020”, more than a third of family Caregivers rate their job as highly emotionally stressful, and nearly 1 in 5 reports a high level of physical strain.
We’ve all heard the phrase: “You can’t pour from an empty cup.”, yet making time for self care and respite is one of the hardest things for Caregivers to do. It’s important to remember that taking a break will only make you a better Caregiver, with more emotional and physical stamina to care for your loved one!
Here are a few options:
- In Home Caregiver Services
The benefit of having an in-home Caregiver is the flexibility of only getting the service “as needed”. This is a great solution to give a weekly break for personal time or errands, as well as 24/7 care if you were to take a night away or a short trip out of town. Your loved one remains home in their comfort zone and very little is changed to their routine.
Adult daycare is a useful service to help Caregivers get a break during the day, and also for your loved one to get socialization. Activities and programming are planned out and it’s a safe way for them to interact with others and make friends. This allows Caregivers to get significant respite during the day and recharge!
- Senior Living Community (Assisted Living, Memory Care, Skilled Nursing Facility)
Many Senior Living Communities will offer respite services that would allow your loved one to stay at the community overnight, and usually up to 30 days. Typically they will charge a daily rate which gives families the flexibility to choose the amount of time needed. This is a perfect solution if a Caregiver has a trip planned or maybe even a surgery that will require a period of time to recover before they can take on their typical responsibilities. This is also a great tool to “try out” a community. It’s a “no-strings” way to see how you and your loved one likes the experience.
If you or someone you love is a Caregiver in need of respite and wants some more information about specific services or communities that will meet your needs, reach out to us! Sunways is a FREE service for Seniors and their Caregivers and we’re here to help!
Remember: “Self compassion is simply giving the same kindness to ourselves that we would give to others.” -Christopher Germer
