Why Respite Care is Essential for Senior Care in Calgary
Caring for a senior loved one can be extremely rewarding, but it can also be physically and mentally taxing. As a caregiver, you’ll likely have to take on your senior loved one’s care needs while managing separate responsibilities and your well-being too. If you’re a senior caregiver and feel overwhelmed by your role or you’re a care recipient in need of additional support, respite care may be the right solution for you. From allowing caregivers to take a break and recharge to providing care recipients with senior companionship, respite care offers many advantages to everyone involved. Let’s take a look at why respite care is essential for senior care in Calgary.
Respite care provides seniors with additional socialization opportunities
Staying social as a senior is important for promoting better mental and physical health, and also for creating new routines. As we age, it can get harder and harder to remain socially active because of a range of factors, including the loss of loved ones, health problems, mobility issues, and transportation challenges. A respite caregiver can be a companion to your senior loved one all while they assist with their home care assistance needs, like running errands and preparing meals.
Companionship is at the core of all the senior home care services we offer at Foothills Home Services. Respite care is not only a wonderful option for giving family caregivers a much-needed break, but it also provides seniors with valuable social opportunities. When a caregiver takes over your duties to provide respite care, your senior loved one gets the chance to interact with someone new. Respite care is a great way for seniors to revamp their routines and stay engaged with others, helping to prevent feelings of loneliness and isolation.
Respite care helps caregivers manage stress and burnout
Caring for a senior loved one can be demanding, both physically and mentally. Caregivers run the risk of experiencing burnout, which is described by Arthritis Society Canada as a feeling of emotional, physical, and/or psychological stress that is caused by repeating the same type of stressful activity over and over again. Burnout can happen without you even noticing, but there are common signs you can look out for, including:
Loss of patience
Feeling extremely tired
Being quick to anger
Getting easily flustered or frustrated
Losing interest in hobbies
Among Arthritis Society Canada’s tips to help manage stress and burnout is scheduling respite care so you as a caregiver can have dedicated time to yourself. Whether it's a few hours or a few weeks, respite care gives caregivers time to focus on their well-being, run errands, or simply take a moment to recharge physically and mentally. Respite care can help prevent caregiver burnout by providing caregivers with much-needed time to rest, relax, and focus on their own needs.
Respite care can strengthen the family caregiver-care recipient relationship
Compassion fatigue, also referred to as vicarious trauma or secondary traumatic stress, is the emotional and physical exhaustion that can affect healthcare professionals and caregivers over time. Both caregiver burnout and compassion fatigue can have a serious impact on a caregiver, but there’s a difference between the two terms. Caregiver burnout refers to the deep exhaustion and stress someone feels after caring for someone else, while compassion fatigue is something that occurs when a caregiver takes on the emotional stress of the person they are caring for. Here are a few warning signs of compassion fatigue to look out for:
Difficulty sleeping and having nightmares
Feeling emotionally, psychologically, or physically exhausted, burnt out, or numb
Reduced empathy
Physical symptoms like nausea, dizziness, and headaches
Feeling overwhelmed, hopeless, helpless, or powerless when hearing of other people's suffering
Both compassion fatigue and caregiver burnout can happen at the same time. Respite care can be beneficial to caregivers who are experiencing compassion fatigue or are at risk of developing it. Respite care can help caregivers feel more refreshed, patient, and compassionate when caring for their senior loved one, strengthening their relationship.
Seniors get improved quality of care thanks to respite care
Family caregivers often put their own needs on the back burner to ensure their senior loved one receives the best possible care. However, caregivers need to take care of themselves too in order to provide the best possible care they can provide to their senior loved one. With respite care, caregivers have time to focus on their own well-being and are better equipped to meet the needs of their senior loved ones as a result. Respite care helps family caregivers have the time to focus on self-care, improving the quality of care a senior receives from them in the long run.
Additionally, if your senior loved one is living with a serious condition, such as dementia, there may be days when they need specialized care from a trained and experienced senior care Calgary professional. Professional respite care services and professional senior home care services in general can help make sure your senior loved one’s unique care needs are met, which can result in better health outcomes for them. Respite care is available on an as-needed basis, and if longer-term professional home care assistance is needed, that can be arranged too!
Let Foothills Home Services help with your respite care needs
If you’re considering respite care, make sure you check out this other article from our senior care Calgary team covering 4 things you should know about respite care. Taking care of your senior loved one can be tough, but it also comes with its rewards. It’s easy to forget to take care of yourself when you take on the caregiver role. Caregiver burnout and compassion fatigue can affect your physical and mental health on many levels, and ultimately affect the quality of care you’re able to give your senior loved one. One of the most important things you can do as a caregiver - both for your well-being and the well-being of the senior you care for - is make time for yourself. Respite care can help you do this. If you need support, Foothills Home Services is here for you. Connect with a member of our team to discuss our home care services in Calgary and beyond.
