Respite Services

Love is a complicated emotion, especially when it comes to taking care of your family members who need special attention. But more often than not, Life happens. Jobs, work commitments and deadlines require our time and attention. And of course, after spending that long hard day at work coming home to an ailing family member waiting to be fed, bathed and put to bed is not an easy job. We realize you need your time to recharge and refresh. You need to spend a few hours of the day to relax and let go. It is the only way you can provide the care and attention your loved one needs and deserve.

Letting go of your self until you finally reach a breaking point is not a wise choice. You cannot help anyone unless you are competent for it mentally and physically. It can only end up hurting both the caregiver and the ones depending on him. Realizing when to take assistance from professional helpers is a wise choice and a dire one too. Respite service providers help take the burden off until the primary caretaker is ready and refreshed to rehandle all the responsibilities.

What Does Respite Care Mean?

The word Respite means small intervals of break and rest.

“Respite care or services aim to provide limited-time breaks to the primary caretaker to fulfil their individual and personal needs. Such services aim to make sure that the person in need does not get ignored whilst the caretaker is away or on a break.”

Duties Of Respite Caretaker

The services provided by Respite care institutes include any task that the patient or elderlies cannot perform on their own and therefore need assistance for it. It can consist of a wide range of jobs, but the most commonly required services are:

Why Do You Need Respite Care Taker’s Help?

Taking a respite care taker’s help does not mean that the primary caretaker is sluggish or ignorant. It is the complete opposite of that. The respite caretaker will help the sole caretaker take a day off to fulfil personal duties, run errands, shop for necessities, cook and clean, or generally take a break. The professional and trained respite services staff can help take the load off for a few hours to a couple of days depending upon the client’s needs.

At Home Respite Care

Having external help at the patient’s home is a more feasible option for patients who are uncomfortable or agitated by movement and mobility. The idea that there is no place like home especially applies in such situations. Some care homes also provide this service where a professionally trained staff member is sent to the house on request order. It is beneficial as it can help the ailing person’s family take a short break while being close to their loved ones. There are two types of at-home services:

Who Pays For Respite Services

Assistive care plans in the insurance policies usually handle the Respite services too. If the patient qualifies for government aid in the insurance, then the burden is shared between the family members and the government. However, if the insurance policy isn’t sufficient to cover the expenses, the family must pay the cost.

How To Devise A Respite Care Plan

• The respite care plan must target both the patient and the family member. It is devised in a way to help the primary caretaker schedule their tasks accordingly, too. The family member cannot usually change the hours they have to attend a school or go to their workplaces. It is, therefore, essential to inform the care homes in advance about their respective work schedule. It is better to clear out the following points with the respite caretaker:
• Duration of service required
• If the caretaker needs to assess and check on the patient at different hours during the night, in case of an overnight stay.
• If a hospital or doctor’s visit is required
• Allergies and food aversions
• Medication schedule
• Need for monitoring vitals
• In the case of elderlies, if hygienic activities such as bathing etc. are required