Being a caregiver is the noblest and generous course that anyone can undertake. Whether you are helping a friend or family member who is grappling with old age, dementia or disability, offering assistance is an excellent way to show them how much you care. However, being a caregiver can be demanding, stressful, and tiring. As such, it may lead to burnouts, which may take a toll on your mental, physical and emotional wellbeing. Sometimes, getting too much involved with a patient can make you forget to tend to your personal needs. This is where respite care comes in handy.
What Is Respite Care?
Respite care is a type of service that relieves caregivers of their duties and responsibilities for a short period to tend to their issues. It is an ideal solution that provides the overstressed caregivers with an opportunity to have the much-deserved rest to decompress, rejuvenate and recharge their batteries. And although most caregivers feel guilty when taking a moment for themselves, this should not be the case. It is vitally essential that you spare a few hours, days, or weeks to unwind, decompress, relax, and re-energize, especially in situations where you are dealing with sick or challenged individuals.
Respite care ensures that your loved ones continue to receive the kind of care you provide, thus allowing you to step aside and do things that are not associated with caregiving. Taking a short break from your responsibilities allows you to refresh and reflect, thereby ensuring that you don’t experience burnouts that can ultimately affect your performance.
Respite care can be a one-time thing or can be used regularly when caregivers feel overwhelmed and need personal support. Often, people who spend lots of time with the elderly or disabled tend to be sucked up in their issues. Therefore, they must seek a temporary rest to relieve their stresses and restore a sense of balance.
Which are The Various Types of Respite Care Services?
This service may involve asking family or friends to watch your loved one as you head to the gym or go shopping. It may also involve finding volunteers or paid caregivers to look after your loved one for the period that you’ll be away. Nevertheless, respite care services fall into two categories:
- In-home Respite Care
In-home care is a kind of service that involves you inviting a volunteer or paid help to your house to check on your loved one as you take the much-deserved rest. This type of respite care is more preferred since it allows patients to remain in their homes. This means that patients don’t have to cope with the new challenges that are associated with the change of scenery.
- Out-of-home Respite Care
This is a type of respite care that involves you taking your loved ones into a private or non-profit facility designated for such purposes. It may be an adult care center where you can take senior citizens who want assistance, or a residential program in a group home, nursing home, hospital or any other specialized facility. It may also be respite camps or caregiver retreats that combine education and peer support.