Considering Respite Care? Here Are 4 Things You Should Know
As people age, they often need extra help in their day-to-day lives. This responsibility tends to fall on family members or close friends. The experience of caring for a loved one can be different for different people. While caregivers can find fulfillment in supporting an aging loved one, caregiving for a senior is still demanding. After all, as a caregiver, your other everyday responsibilities don’t just disappear because you are taking care of your loved one. The combined stress can present additional physical and emotional challenges, and it’s important as a caregiver to take care of yourself. Respite care services can help alleviate caregiver stress and fatigue and give you time to care for yourself.
At Foothills Home Services, we know a thing or two about respite care. We offer short-term, long-term, and round-the-clock care to provide reprieve for caregivers.
If you’re currently considering respite care, here’s some information from our team to help you weigh care options for your loved one.
1. Respite Care: What It Means
Respite care is an important resource for primary caregivers. It’s a service that gives a senior the support and care that they need while allowing their primary caregiver to take a break from their caregiver duties.
Respite care can be provided in a variety of places. This includes in your community through adult day services, on a short-term basis in a long-term care setting (such as a care home or hospice), or at home through home support services.
With respite care services from a home care provider, a senior can get help with meal preparation, running errands, bathing, grooming, and more. At Foothills Home Services, we offer a range of services, including 24 Hour Live-In Senior Care, Senior Homemaking + Housekeeping, and Elderly Personal Care & Senior Support Services.
A home care provider can help you find a care plan that suits both your and your loved ones’ needs, and respite care can be provided by a professional as regularly as necessary.
2. When Respite Care Is Needed
Respite care is there to give you a break when you need it, whatever the reason and many caregivers even integrate respite care into their caregiving strategy. Here are some scenarios when a respite care provider can help primary caregivers.
When caregivers need support balancing their personal lives
Caregiving can be difficult, even when caring for someone you love. It’s normal for caregivers to feel physically and emotionally drained at some point while caring for a senior loved one. Taking time away from caregiving responsibilities can help caregivers maintain their health and happiness and balance their personal lives. Respite care can help primary caregivers keep up with routine personal responsibilities like household chores and work and can also help create time for hobbies and leisure activities.
Following medical events
Following surgery, illness, or hospitalization, your senior loved one may require higher care to aid their recovery. In these cases, private home care services are often sought to ensure all of a senior’s needs are met and give families peace of mind.
After a change in schedule
If you have a last-minute appointment, meeting at work, or other personal matter, it can be difficult to find someone to step in on the short notice. Respite care services can help here! Respite care services can also help you make time on your schedule for life events like moving into a new home, parental leave, wedding preparation, and going on holiday.
3. The Benefits of Respite Care
Caregivers often feel guilty for taking a break from caring for their loved ones, but the truth is that both caregivers and seniors stand to benefit from respite care. Here are a few advantages of using respite care services.
Social connection. Caregivers often spend so much time looking after the seniors who need care that they let their own social needs slip. Respite care gives primary caregivers the time to reconnect with friends and family, which is great for a caregiver’s well-being. A senior receiving care at home also tends to only interact with the same people regularly. Respite care allows your senior loved one to interact with different people, which can be a welcome change in routine! Social interaction is very important to the health and happiness of seniors receiving care. The Foothills Home Services team provides senior companionship while we assist with daily activities and household tasks as part of the services we offer.
A break from the caregiver-care recipient relationship. When you take on the responsibility of providing care for your senior loved one, the dynamic of your relationship may change. Our parents, for example, are used to taking care of us. The shift to them receiving care from us requires some adjustment and can strain your relationship. Taking breaks during which your loved one receives care from a professional caregiver can ease some of the pressure you might experience due to the changes in your relationship
A re-energized caregiver! Caregiving is mentally and physically challenging, so caregivers need to take the time to recharge. Taking a break with the help of professional respite care services is good for your well-being and allows you, as a caregiver, to come back rested and ready to provide your loved one with the best possible care that you can give.
4. How Foothills Home Services Can Help
For caregivers, respite care is a way of relieving stress and generally getting helpful support. For seniors, respite care offers a change of pace and an opportunity to interact with more people while continuing to receive the care that they need. These are just a few advantages of taking a break and utilizing respite care services.
There are even more benefits when the Foothills Home Services team provides in-home senior care. Check out our article on what to expect from Foothills In-Home Caregivers for more information.
We know that planning for respite care can bring up a lot of conflicting emotions for primary caregivers. Our focus at Foothills Home Services is on devising the perfect care plan for the senior in your life. We want to give your family peace of mind knowing that your loved one is well-cared for.
If you’re considering home care services in Calgary and the surrounding communities, contact the Foothills Home Services team to discuss your loved one’s care needs.
