While caring for a loved one can be a very rewarding experience, there's no denying how draining and stressful it can be at times, too.
The fact of the matter is that all caregivers need a break - whether it's for a few hours or a few weeks. This is where professional respite care can be a literal lifesaver, offering a plethora of benefits not only to the caregiver but loved ones, too.
If you're considering respite care, but you're unsure whether it's the right choice, this blog offers all the encouragement you need.
Respite care services give full-time caregivers the chance to take a break whenever they need to. Being a primary caregiver to a loved one who is ill, disabled, or frail is a huge responsibility and a round-the-clock job. This means caregivers need to take a break for a variety of reasons - not just fatigue.
This is where support for caregivers in the form of respite care is super beneficial. You can generally find respite care services in residential and assisted living communities as well as in the comfort of your own home.
Respite carers offer a 24-hour service, including overnight stays. As a caregiver, you can take a break for as long as you need to - whether it's a few hours, days, or even weeks.
Caregiving relief services are a great option because they offer trained professionals who fully understand the needs of those who might be ill, disabled, or immobile.
Respite care includes services such as bathing, dressing, assistance with eating and drinking, administering medications, exercising, transport and mobility services, and more.
Many in-home respite carers also carry out chores around the house, including cleaning, laundry, meal preparation, and shopping.
Let's take a closer look at how professional respite care is beneficial for both caregivers and those who need care:
The responsibility of care is great. Full-time caregiving is a demanding, challenging, and tiring job. This means that it's a responsibility that no person should have to bear alone.
It is not uncommon for caregivers to seek care for themselves after some time. This is where respite care offers the perfect opportunity for much-needed rest and recuperation.
As mentioned, caregivers can choose whether they need a few hours, days, or weeks off from full-time caregiving. Bearing in mind that respite care is not a long-term option, it's a chance for caregivers to take short-term leave from their responsibilities for the benefit of their physical and mental health.
This time for rest and recuperation offers a range of benefits, including:
Not only this, but time away from caregiving duties can also improve or strengthen the bond between caregiver and loved one.
Caregivers are human and they have their own set of personal needs to prioritize. However, it's not uncommon for full-time caregivers to begin to neglect these personal needs, which can have a really negative impact on mental health and well-being. Eventually, this could lead to caregiver burnout.
This is why respite care is so important.
It gives caregivers the opportunity to focus on what they need in order to feel well-rested and return to their responsibilities with renewed energy and focus.
Whether it's time to enjoy a vacation and explore a new country, or perhaps it's the chance to simply stay at home, read books, and sleep, or run important errands and organize your life, whatever this free time involves, it's necessary for a healthy mind and body.
Caregiving is a 24-hour job. It's physically, mentally, and emotionally taxing. Working for prolonged periods of time without rest can lead to a build-up of stress and tension between caregivers and loved ones.
Everyone knows the implications and repercussions of stress. A certain amount of stress in your everyday life is normal. But living with chronic stress, day in and day out, without a break, is unhealthy.
This is why taking some time off and seeking the help of professional respite care is a game changer.
A well-deserved break and change of scenery allows caregivers to recharge their batteries, de-stress, and return to their duties with a fresh state of mind.
When you're so focused on caring for someone else it can feel like it becomes your entire identity. This is a fast way to feel completely cut off from the rest of the world and isolated if you don't prioritize time for yourself as a caregiver.
One of the top respite care benefits is that it gives caregivers the chance to avoid these intense feelings of isolation by making time to visit family and friends. It gives them a chance to reconnect with other members of the family, as well as with themselves.
Feeling isolated and lonely in your caregiving role can also lead to feelings of resentment. Taking a break and prioritizing yourself is a good way to avoid this.
How does respite care benefit not only the caregiver but those who need caring, and even other family members?
As the saying goes, absence makes the heart grow fonder. It's healthy to spend some time apart from one another as this gives both caregiver and your loved one some perspective.
Not only this, but it gives your loved one and other family members a chance to interact with other people. It's a change of scenery and fresh new face/s to bond with.
Whether a loved one needs respite care following a hospital stay or illness, or you just need a break as the primary caregiver, Mount Pleasant Assisted Living is here for you.
Our assisted living community offers short-term stays under the care of our well-trained, empathetic team of professionals. If you're interested in learning more about our respite care offering, please get in touch today to talk through your options.