If you are a family caregiver, then you probably know that it can be an exhausting job. In fact, the strain of providing care can be so great that there’s a term for what happens when you can no longer provide the highest level of care because of this exhaustion: caregiver burnout. As a caregiver, you have a responsibility to the people that you love, and this can mean using help resources, such as respite care.
Respite care is any sort of care that gives the main caregiver a break. It can be for a few hours, or as long as several weeks. It is designed to give the person who takes on the bulk of caregiving duties a break so that they can take care of their own life, and then return rested and ready to go.
If you’re not sure how to find a respite caregiver, there are a lot of tools out there designed to help you. If you want to continue to use a family caregiver, then starting your search with another trusted family member can be a good idea. Not every family is this big or is willing to take on this sort of responsibility, though. If that’s the case for you, then your community might have a network of volunteers through various agencies and nonprofit organizations. Community volunteers can be a great resource for you, but a lot of people do have difficulty being connected to these individuals. Sometimes, a quick call to your local Social Services office can help you to figure out what’s out there. By no means does this mean that you’re relying on welfare services for help, but rather utilizing the built in resources that your community has created for situations just like this.
Government resources can also be a possibility. For example, in California there are regional centers located throughout the state that can help to point you toward a respite service so that you can take a break and come back as a better caregiver. The VA and Medi-Cal also offer respite services in various forms.
Professional respite care is always a possibility, too. Respite care is one of the many services that we offer here at Paradise In-Home Care. Whether you’re looking for someone to step in for a few hours while you run some errands once in a while, or you need to find a caregiver that you trust while you’re away for work for a week, respite care can help to fill in the gaps that a family caregiver cannot. Knowing that the person helping your loved one is thoroughly trained and trustworthy makes this even easier on you and the rest of your family.
Have questions? We can help! Just give us a call and one of our trained staff members can help get you pointed toward a solution to your care needs. We offer free consultations at no obligation, too. This might be a great way to find the senior care that you’ve been looking for.
Leave a Reply