Respite

What is respite?

Respite care is giving a caregiver some "time off" from their duties. A respite break can be as short as a few hours or a couple of days or weeks. Respite can be given in the home or outside of the home.

What are the different types of respite?

There are several different types of respite:

In-home respite: Someone comes to the home for a few hours per week to allow the regular caregiver some free time. Respite workers may be paid or be volunteers. Paid respite workers can usually be hired by the hour through home care agencies. They have training as aides or homemakers. There are a limited number of volunteer respite workers available. Volunteers may have limited training. Donations can be made to the organizations who provide the volunteers.

Family respite: Other family members, usually those not living in the home, spend designated time with the person needing care. This gives the regular caregiver some free time.

Adult day care programs: These are group programs that offer physical and social activities and other care. They help meet the needs of people with physical or mental limitations. The hours that a person may attend is usually flexible, allowing the caregiver to schedule the respite around his or her needs. Some adult day care programs offer weekend or overnight respite care. The programs may be located in community centers, long-term care facilities, or hospitals. Some programs may provide transportation.

Institutional respite: A chronically ill or elderly loved one can be admitted to a nursing home or assisted living facility for a short time (1 to 3 weeks). This allows the caregiver to go out of town for a few days or just relax.

Why do caregivers need respite?

Caregiving is often a 24-hour-a-day job. It can be emotionally and physically exhausting. The person receiving care needs you to be as patient and helpful as possible. When caregivers are tired from everyday demands, they may not provide good care. Abuse may even occur. There have been cases where caregivers, many of them spouses, died before the persons they were taking care of because they did not take care of themselves. When this happens, the person needing care often is moved to a nursing home.

No one (except perhaps you) expects you to provide all the care. Others can learn to do what needs to be done. The person receiving care may benefit from being around someone different.

How do I arrange for respite?

Recognize that you need time away if you are to provide good care to another. Have a meeting of people in the family who are responsible for or interested in the welfare of the person needing care. If having this family meeting will be emotionally difficult, arrange to have a nonfamily member run the meeting. A social worker or nurse from the local hospital may be a good person to do this. Answer questions such as:

• What care is needed?
• What are your needs as the primary caregiver?
• What financial resources are available for respite?
• What is each person willing to do to provide care?
• What type of respite is best in your situation?

Once the family decides on the type of respite to be used, call your local hospital, senior center, or Area Agency on Aging to find out about respite services in your area. To locate your Area Agency on Aging, call the Eldercare Locator from 9 AM to 8 PM, Eastern Standard Time, Monday through Friday, at 1-800-677-1116.

Discuss arrangements with the person receiving care before the first respite visit. Do not change your plans just because the person you are caring for complains or tells you that no one can give care like you. You must take care of yourself if you are to take good care of someone else.