Need a break from caregiving? 4 Ways to Use Respite Care
October 21, 2016
Caregiver in Belmont CA
Are you feeling angry, frustrated, overwhelmed, or worried over the continuous amount of caregiving tasks you have to help your elderly loved one with? Fortunately, there is a way to give yourself a much needed break. It is known as respite care.
Respite care involves a professional elderly care provider who becomes a temporary caregiver, while the original caregiver takes some time for themselves. You can use this type of care for as long as you would like as a way to rejuvenate and reenergize the body and mind. Respite care is usually needed for dementia caregivers, but can be used for a wide range of caregiving roles. In order to make respite care work for you and your loved one, here are four tips to keep in mind.
- No need to get permission. While you may want to ask permission from your loved one in order to begin respite care, do not waist your breath. Seniors with dementia are unable to logically comprehend your feelings and needs, so they will most likely be oblivious to your reasons for doing this. This is a choice that you alone should make.
- Carefully introduce the new caregiver. Elders with dementia usually do not like change. When trying to prepare the elder for a new caregiver who will be taking your place, just let them know that this person will be helping the senior while you are away. Do not introduce the person as a caregiver because the senior may feel like you are trying to get them a babysitter, resulting in a resistant, stubborn senior.
- Acknowledge your guilt and move on. Sure, you may be feeling guilty about leaving your loved one’s care in the hands of someone else. However, while you should acknowledge these feelings, there is no reason to beat yourself up over this choice. Instead, accept your feelings of guilt and try to move on, knowing that you need this break for your own health and sanity.
- Start in the early stages of the disease. While some of the elder’s cognitive abilities are still strong, you may want to think about having respite care. This way, the elder will be able to possibly create a close bond with the new elder care provider. If you wait to use respite care until the elder is in the late stages of dementia, they may feel more resistant to this change in their routine.