People who have served as a caregiver for another person will likely tell you it was one of the most rewarding experiences in their lives. As much as they enjoyed it, they’ll also tell you it can be completely exhausting. 

While the caregiver is caring for someone else, who takes care of the caregiver? As caregivers pull double duty providing excellent care for a loved one, there is little or no time to care for themselves, yet is necessary. What they need is respite. 

Respite gives exhausted caregivers a reprieve from their caregiving duties so they can care for themselves.  

What Is Respite Care?

The word respite means a short time of rest, and that’s a meaningful definition for caregivers. Caring for a loved one is a job that requires working around the clock, day and night.

Caregivers need regular breaks just as workers in every other profession do. They need more than a coffee break – they need respite care.

Respite care can be provided by a home care agency in a variety of places:

• In someone’s home
• At a special day-care center
• In a residential setting

While respite care is intended to be a temporary service, caregiver breaks can be scheduled for short or long periods as necessary to allow caregivers to feel refreshed and recharged.

Caregivers commonly set up respite care for a few hours per day, although they can schedule a respite caregiver to take their place for an entire day, several days, or a few weeks at a time.

Why Respite Care Is Important

Why is respite care so vital? Some people’s needs are such that they cannot safely be left alone even for short periods. It is a necessity to have someone assisting them around the clock without interruption. For caregivers, that amounts to much more than a full-time job.

The following statistics show that family caregiving is a common occurrence:

• 82% of family caregivers are taking care of another family member over the age of 65
• 1 in 10 people are caring for a spouse
• 7% of family members are caring for someone age 75 or older (Caregiving in the U.S.)

The risk of burnout for caregivers is extremely high. In fact, 32% of family caregivers describe their caregiving experience as stressful.  

How is respite care helpful for family caregivers? A home care agency provides a qualified caregiver to step into the caregiver’s shoes so they can take care of themselves for a short while. Respite care goes a long way toward relieving caregiver burnout.

What are the issues that contribute to caregiver burnout?

• Caregivers work at a job in addition to caregiving duties
• Caregivers have obligations away from home
• Caregivers feel unable to take a vacation
• Caregivers have major medical needs of their own
• Caregivers feel excess stress that impacts the quality of care they provide

Without question, caregivers must have time to take care of their own needs. To accomplish that, they need to consider how home care can help.

How Home Care Services Can Help

It is extremely challenging for family caregivers to care for someone in need and still have enough strength to care for their children, spouse, or others at home. Many caregivers find there are simply not enough hours in the day to do everything that needs to be done. It can be a huge help to know that someone else is available to take over caregiving duties a few times per week. 

Home care services give caregivers the help they need by providing a capable temporary replacement to relieve them of their duties so they feel ready to resume their caregiving duties with confidence. 

The goals of respite care include:

• Allowing caregivers sufficient time to address their own needs
• Providing caregivers with a temporary replacement so they feel a sense of relief
• Allowing people in need to remain living in their community
• Delaying or preventing a person from requiring institutionalized care

How to Find Respite Care

In a perfect world, it would be easy to find someone to step into a caregiver’s duties for a short while, but that isn’t often the case. 

When no one is available to help, where does a caregiver turn? A local home care agency with a solid reputation can be a lifeline for burned-out caregivers. 

Good Hands Home Health Care is a local home care agency located right in the community that offers quality respite caregivers to give you a much-needed break. With our respite caregivers on duty, you can rest assured that your loved one is well cared for in your absence for however long you need a break.

Does a short break sound like just what you need? If so, contact Good Hands Home Health Care at 610-285-1095 and speak with us about how we can meet your needs.