Caregiving
Respite By Elizabeth Reeves, MSW, Case Management Program Director
participate in activities and get a break from the routine at home. Overnight at a care facility —For a longer break, caregivers can choose to bring their loved one to an adult care home or skilled nursing facility for a short term stay of several days or weeks. How do I find respite care? Sometimes, all it takes to arrange for some respite is to ask. Friends and family often want to help but don’t know what they can do to be useful. Or, they may think the caregiver has everything handled and need to hear that help is needed. In other situations, it’s necessary to hire a caregiver from a home health agency or arrange placement in a care facility. When looking for a provider, it can be helpful to ask friends or medical professionals if they have recommendations. There are also listings for home care agencies or residential care facilities in the PCOA on-line resource directory at pcoa.org. Sometimes the challenge of finding a care provider or arranging a placement can be overwhelming, or a family may not have the financial resources to pay for this type of assistance. If that is the case, call the PCOA Helpline at (520) 790-7262 and a Caregiver Specialist at PCOA can talk with you about resources and choices.
and can make plans to visit with friends, go to a movie, attend religious services, or have private time at home to do a craft or take an un-interrupted nap. Sometimes a caregiver may want (or need) to take a longer break to visit loved ones out of town or attend an event. In that case, overnight respite can be arranged, either at home or in a facility. For a primary caregiver, it can feel difficult or worrisome to entrust the care of a loved one to someone else, but the time away to re-energize can help maintain the strength needed to continue providing loving care. Types of respite There are a variety of ways that respite service can be arranged. Here are the most common: Informal —A friend or family member can be a wonderful respite provider. This could take the form of a friend coming over to socialize with the person receiving care so the caregiver can get out of the house, or it could be a family member from out of town coming to stay for a week so the primary caregiver can have a break. In-home support —A home care agency can provide respite in the home, often in blocks of time from 4-8 hours, usually on a weekly schedule or sometimes as needed. Adult Day Center —Some people like to socialize with a larger group and enjoy going to an adult day center to
Caring for a loved one at home can bring up conflicting feelings. At times, caregiving can create a sense of satisfaction, gratitude, and love. It can also be exhausting and stressful. If you are a live-in family caregiver, your health and well-being are important, and giving yourself a break from caregiving responsibilities can be critical. This is where respite care can help. What is respite care? Respite is a break for people who care for loved ones in their home. It is temporary relief for the caregiver, enabling them to take a much needed pause from the demands of caring for a family member. Respite is often provided in a block of time for several hours each week, but sometimes it can be longer—a few weeks or even a month. When is respite care helpful? All live-in family caregivers might benefit from respite assistance. Respite is an opportunity for the person who is managing the 24/7 demands of caregiving to recharge and take a break. It can also be a chance to give the person receiving care a change of pace and someone new to interact with. Often, people find it is helpful to have respite care scheduled on a weekly basis so they know when they will be free from caregiving responsibilities
August 2023, Never Too Late | Page 15
Pima Council on Aging
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