Respite care provides a temporary break for family caregivers. No matter how much you love the person you are caring for, caregiving is hard and can drain your personal and emotional resources. It is important to take time for yourself when you can. Respite care can be arranged for any amount of time from a few hours a week to 24/7 care for a week or more.
Right now, with adult day care facilities closed in Ohio due to the coronavirus, it can be especially difficult to get the break you need. But it’s important to get some respite for yourself before you burn out. You deserve time for yourself, your family, shopping, exercising, reading, vacations, and relaxing. Giving yourself this basic care will ensure that the time you spend with your senior is quality time and the best you have to give.
Signs it may be time for a break include:
- Withdrawal from friends and family
- Loss of interest in activities previously enjoyed
- Feeling blue, irritable, hopeless, and helpless
- Changes in appetite, weight, or sleep patterns
- Getting sick more often
- Feelings of wanting to hurt yourself or the person for whom you are caring
- Emotional and physical exhaustion
- Excessive use of alcohol and/or sleep medications
Needing help does not make you a failure. It shows that you are human. It also means that you are thinking ahead and practicing self-care. Home care is a very viable option for families who want to keep their senior in their home or in the family home. Assisting Hands serving Cincinnati, OH has created strict coronavirus protocols to give our clients and families that extra peace of mind.
An in-home caregiver can assist with many things:
- Bathing
- Dressing
- Grooming
- Medication reminders
- Laundry
- Making beds
- Preparing meals
- Ambulation assistance
- Drive to and assist at appointments
With in-home care support, you will have time to do your own errands, take a relaxing bath, or enjoy connecting with friends. Consider also that if you haven’t set up reliable alternate care, you may not be ready if an emergency arises that necessitates you being away from your loved one. You don’t want to be testing out new arrangements in the middle of a crisis or illness.
It can be challenging to get your senior to accept help from a caregiver. Sometimes the best way to get acceptance for an alternate caregiver is to have someone help with housework before helping with personal care. This allows your loved one to become familiar with the idea of a new caregiver and build trust. It may also buy you that same time.
It can also be helpful to suggest that you would like to try having a person in “just for a week,” which gives your senior some feeling of control over the situation and might help them be more open to extending the arrangement.
Make sure to include extended family in the decision. They may not realize how difficult it is for you to be a caregiver and may be able to help you arrange for on-going respite care. They won’t know you need help if you don’t tell them.
Get the break you need – contact Assisting Hands serving Cincinnati, OH and we’ll create a plan that works for you and your loved one.
