Caring for a Loved One
Did you know that over 54 million people in the United States act as unpaid caregivers for aging or disabled loved ones? If you are one of them, you might feel better knowing you’re not alone. Caring for a loved one is an unselfish act, and it can be rewarding, but it is also challenging, and caregiver burnout is real and all too common. It can cause physical and mental symptoms over time, ranging from body aches, headaches, and insomnia to mood swings, anxiety and depression. Burnout can even elevate the risk of chronic diseases. Unfortunately, many caregivers do not seek respite care until after they begin to burn out. Here, we will explain why respite care is so important.
What is Respite Care?
Respite care is an opportunity for caregivers to take a break, while their loved one is in the temporary care of someone else, either in or out of the home. Family members can step up to provide respite care, or you can hire an outside temporary caregiver. Respite care can come in the form of adult daycare, in-home caregivers, or a temporary stay at senior living facility, and it allows the caregiver some time away from the responsibilities of the caregiving role.
Reasons Respite Care is Necessary for Caregivers
If you are a caregiver, here are some very good reasons to schedule respite care:
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Respite care gives you time to rest and recharge. Family caregiving involves round-the-clock responsibilities, and you may not feel like you can take a break, even to rest. When you enlist the help of a reliable, trustworthy person, you can keep fatigue and burnout at bay.
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When your loved one is in respite care, you can be confident that appropriate care is being provided. When you choose to place your loved one in the care of an in-home caregiver or a senior facility like daycare or assisted living, you can have the peace of mind that comes with knowing his or her needs are being met.
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You can engage socially when you get a break from caregiving. Often, caregivers neglect their own social lives because they are so busy taking care of others. They may withdraw from friends and other family members because they simply don’t have the bandwidth to think about social interaction. When you engage respite care, you can spend time nurturing the other important relationships in your life, reconnecting with friends and loved ones.
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People who choose respite care regularly can earn a living. If you hire an in-home caregiver or choose an adult daycare facility, you can take some time away from your responsibilities each day, in order to hold down a job. Being able to earn an income even while serving as the primary caregiver for a loved one can address financial concerns and help you feel like yourself.
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Respite care can help you alleviate stress. Being a caregiver can be demanding. It’s easy to neglect self-care when you’re “on call” 24 hours a day, but it is important that you meet your own needs as well as the needs of your loved one. Letting someone else take over, even for just a little while, can give you space to manage your stress and come back with more patience and a better attitude.
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When you use respite care, you can attend to other responsibilities. Some family caregivers still have children at home who need them. Whether that is your situation, or you just need time to run errands and shop, having respite care lets you do what you need to do.
- Respite care gives you time to maintain an identity outside of the caregiving role. When you have time to yourself, even for just a few hours, you can do the things you like to do, and remember who you were before you were a caregiver. Maintaining your sense of self is crucial for a caregiver, and engaging respite care gives you this freedom.
How Respite Care Benefits Care Recipients
If you have guilt over handing off your caregiving responsibilities for a while, don’t. Your loved one may need the break just as much as you do! Respite care can offer the opportunity to interact with new people, and being in a new environment, engaging with new people and activities can benefit the brain. Respite care can even be a way to check out an assisted living facility, engaging with the onsite amenities to see if it might be a good fit in the future. If you choose an in-home caregiver, your loved one can get the benefit of interacting with someone new and participating in enriching activities, all from the comfort of home.
Quality Care Benefits Families
At BrightStar Care® of Carroll & Frederick County, we understand the need for quality in-home caregiving, because of our own family experiences. Our founder, John Kraynak, of Frederick, experienced the realities of caregiving in his own family, when his father developed dementia and his mother became his primary caregiver. Seeing the stress it caused her, the strain it placed on their relationship, and how complicated it was to navigate the world of in-home care, Kraynak decided that there should be an easier way. A businessman in the field of engineering, he decided to look into established homecare businesses and franchises to use as a jumping-off point. Learning about BrightStar’s high standard of care and commitment to a continuum of care, he knew he had found the right option. Today, BrightStar Care of Carroll & Frederick County provides a wide range of home care and medical staffing services, offering high-quality, compassionate care for our clients and unparalleled support for the local healthcare system. For more information about how we can meet your family’s unique needs, call or contact us through our website.