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What Does Respite Care Mean?

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Sometimes things happen that make an individual unable to care properly for themselves. This can be age-related, but it can also be due to an injury or severe illness. When this happens, a family member is often the one that steps up to help first.

This can quickly become too much to handle without proper support and training. And this is where short-term respite care can save the day. A few different types of respite care exist that may include various services. The one that’s right for you or your loved one depends on the individual situation. 

What Does Respite Care Mean?

The quick answer: respite care is the short-term care of someone who is unable to care for themselves in any number of ways like bathing, cooking, or general safe living.

When something happens out of the blue, like an injury or illness, a family may not be ready with any long-term options for the care of the affected individual. In many cases, this results in a family member (adult child, parent, or even grandparent) taking responsibility for care.

This is a wonderful demonstration of love. However, most people aren’t equipped for the level of care required in these situations. At the same time, they may not be ready or need to commit to hiring someone for full-time care—especially if the issue causing the need for care is temporary.

In the case of age-related concerns requiring full-time care, the caregiver or the aging adult may not be ready to commit to a senior living home yet.

For any of these situations, short-term respite care provides the caregiver with much-needed breaks on a day-to-day basis or some other predetermined period. 

Services Included With Respite Care

There are a few different types of respite care—which we cover below— each may include some or all of these services.

  • Assistance with getting dressed or getting in and out of bed
  • Reminders or assistance with taking medications
  • Assistance with bathing and other personal hygiene tasks
  • Getting outside to enjoy a walk or other appropriate activities
  • Help with meal preparation
  • Assistance with eating and drinking

Varieties of Respite Care

No one that needs assistance is in the same situation, so each type or level of care will vary. For example, if someone is a younger person who simply needs extra help while recovering from an injury, home care may be the best option.

On the other hand, a senior who needs short-term care may feel isolated at home. So, one of the alternatives may be the better choice.

Home Care

Exactly as it sounds, short-term home respite care is where a professional caregiver comes into the individual’s home. Depending on the level of care required, this may be a 24/7 thing, or the caregiver may just come during the daytime to help with daily activities.

Adult Day Center Care

An adult day center or program is geared for short-term respite care for a few hours to an entire day. These types of care typically offer limited services compared to the other two options.

Still, they usually include prepared meals, exercise opportunities like dance classes or gyms, and other activities for socialization. Some day center programs will also offer transportation services to and from the individual’s home.

two seniors in a respite day care home stretch their arms overhead while someone leads an exercise

Respite Care Home

When we think of any assisted living home, we usually think of an apartment-style building for seniors. While some of these homes offer short-term respite care services, others offer respite care as their primary option.

A respite care home will offer all the services that an at-home care service will. But they often have additional staff equipped to deal with more complex situations or care needs. For example, suppose an individual specifically needs memory support due to cognitive decline. In that case, there may be staff to provide that special care.

Who is Respite Care For?

There is no one type of person that qualifies for short-term respite care. In many situations, it’s an age-related need. However, this is not exclusive. These are the people that will benefit from respite care:

  • Illness: Things like cancer or a stroke are two things that realistically render a person unable to care for themselves, at least temporarily.
  • Injury: Suffering a brain injury or severe bone breaks can also create a situation where even a younger person cannot perform their daily activities alone.
  • Age: Unfortunately, it gets harder to care for ourselves as we get older. Then, if you add something like Alzheimer’s or dementia into the mix, a person typically requires 24/7 care.

More Questions About Respite Care?

Still have questions about whether or not short-term respite care is right for you or your loved one? Reach out to our office today. Let the compassionate staff at Fox Trail Senior Living answer any questions about these services.

Ryan Donahue

Written by Ryan Donahue, Regional Vice President

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