When you have a family member who needs care, providing that care yourself can be rewarding. However, it can also be exhausting and lead to burning yourself out as you juggle your loved one’s care, family needs, work, and other commitments. This is where respite care can provide much-needed relief. At Home Care Assistance, we know how beneficial respite care can be for everyone, so we have put together this blog on how it can help you.
When a loved one gets older or has an extended illness, we often want to care for them ourselves. While that is admirable, these situations often go on for an extended period – potentially years or decades, depending on the circumstances. This means it is not like when a loved one has a short-term illness and injury, and you temporarily put other parts of your life on hold or put in the extra work required to care for your loved one for a few weeks. It is a long-term disruption to your life and an increase in workload. The consequences for the carer can be enormous. It can affect your quality of life as your own family, work, and social life suffer, as can your physical, emotional and mental health as you put the needs of someone else before your own. Over time, this can affect your ability to provide the care your loved one needs and have a negative effect on your relationship with the person you are caring for, which is the last thing you would have intended by caring for them.
By taking time out for yourself and engaging in respite care for your loved one, you are caring for yourself and your loved one. You are ensuring that when you are caring for them, you are in a state where you can care for them as best as possible.
Respite home care is provided by a specialist provider, such as Home Care Assistance, in your loved one’s home temporarily. A Care Professional comes into your loved one’s home to provide whatever care your loved one needs – that is, the care is tailored based on individual circumstances. Some people use respite care for their loved ones simply because they are exhausted and need a break. Others might need some time to deal with other family issues or time away to go on a holiday. Some people even set up semi-regular respite care, such as one weekend a month, so they get a regular break to prevent carer burnout. The key is to determine what sort of pattern or respite care helps you, although we suggest you organise respite care before you are completely burnt out. A little bit of proactive relief can go a long way when it comes to caring responsibilities.
Our team of Care Professionals are trained and vetted. You also have the reassurance that we will handle any scheduling issues if a Care Professional cannot attend their shift, so your loved one will receive the care they need, giving you peace of mind to take your break or attend to the other matters that need your attention. This is one of the benefits of going through a specialist provider such as Home Care Assistance; we take care of the details, so you don’t have to worry.
Respite care can make a massive difference in supporting everyone involved in the often lengthy journey of caring for a loved one. It helps ensure the family carers get the breaks needed to continue caring for their loved ones. Everyone’s respite needs are different, and everyone’s care needs are individual. To learn how Home Care Assistance can help you, contact us and speak to one of our providers.
Support at home from a specialist provider, such as Home Care Assistance, can bring enormous benefit and comfort to your quality of life while living independently at home. Home Care Assistance offers viable solutions for supporting independent living. For more information, contact a Home Care Assistance near you today.
