Finding Balance: How Respite Care Supports Caregiver Well-Being
Caring for an older loved one is a big job that can significantly affect the caregiver. While many full-time caregivers are happy to sacrifice their free time to make themselves available to their relatives, for some, the full load involved in caring for aging persons may take more work to maintain than initially considered.
In these moments, many caregivers consider and are encouraged to consider integrating respite care into their loved one’s daily routine. This type of care can help those looking after aging relatives find more balance in their day-to-day as they juggle caring for their loved ones and living their own lives.
Below, we’ll discuss the ins and outs of respite care in more detail, along with how this type of assistance benefits the caregiver and their loved one.
Afterward, you can click the following link to learn more about Canada’s different types of respite care services.
What is respite care?
Respite care gives full-time caregivers a temporary break from looking after their older loved one and allows them to have some alone time, travel, look after their immediate family, or do other personal tasks that require time to complete.
Many respite care avenues cater to the various needs of the caregiver and their relative. Respite care is available in several settings, such as adult daytime care centres, at-home care, assisted living communities, and nursing homes.
With respite care services, you can arrange a schedule that best fits your needs while ensuring your loved one is accommodated.
For example, if you’re a primary caregiver but work full-time, you can arrange for a respite care worker to look after your relative during working hours. Further, if you have to leave town for a few days or want to take a vacation, you can arrange to have a respite care worker look after your loved one full-time until you return.
Overall, respite care allows you, the primary caregiver, to better balance your duties to your loved one with your personal life.
When to consider adding respite care to the mix
Being the primary caregiver for an aging family member is an enormous responsibility, and it can often take up a good portion of your time on a day-to-day basis.
The demands of elder care can often become draining and result in caregiver burnout. If caregivers aren’t prioritizing self-care, they may begin to experience extreme stress build-up, which can translate into various physical and mental issues.
If you’re beginning to have similar feelings, don’t be too hard on yourself! It’s all too easy to feel stressed and anxious after supporting a loved one daily.
However, by employing a respite care worker to take on some of the load, you can better prioritize your mental and physical well-being, which will help you continue being the excellent caregiver you are.
How respite care benefits caregivers
Employing a respite care worker provides many benefits both to primary caregivers and to the person they’re looking after. Let’s consider a few of these advantages below:
- Relieves stress for you and the person in your care
As mentioned earlier, a lot of stress can be involved as a primary caregiver. You have to be available at the drop of a hat to attend to your loved one’s needs, cook meals, perform their hygiene tasks, deal with accidents and emergencies, and various other responsibilities.
Dealing with another person’s physical and mental needs daily without proper rest is bound to cause stress build-up. This stress is not only frustrating for you but can also be difficult for the person in your care to see you agitated.
However, by employing a respite care worker to take over some of your duties, you can disconnect from the daily stresses of caregiving and look after your load.
- Provides an expanded support system
One of the more crucial aspects of caregiving is ensuring you have a solid support system to lean on.
If you don’t have extended family who can support or assist you with certain caregiving tasks, it can be easy for the workload to weigh you down. Having someone to consult about particular caregiving tasks and decisions can help ensure your loved one is being cared for correctly and that their wishes are respected.
By having a respite caregiver by your side, you’ll now have the support of a trained healthcare professional who can be relied upon to provide assistance where needed, help you better understand your loved one’s ailments, and help you and your loved one feel appropriately looked after.
- It gives you a chance to rest and recuperate.
Many caregivers look after their loved ones 24/7 but cannot stop working, meaning they have to balance their work and caretaking schedules. Heavy workloads can cause intense exhaustion in a caregiver as they go from what is essentially one full-time job to another.
However, including respite care in your routine can significantly lighten your load, allowing you to focus on work and other personal tasks and giving you more of a chance to rest and recuperate after a long day.
Suppose you’re tired from work at the end of a long day and find it difficult to switch into caretaker mode immediately. In that case, you can arrange for your respite care worker to extend their stay after you come home or schedule another similar arrangement.
To be the best caretaker you can be, you need a chance to take care of and feel like yourself!
Final thoughts
Overall, respite care provides a wide range of benefits to the caregiver and their aging loved one. If you’re beginning to feel weighed down by the responsibility of being a caregiver, look into the respite care options available in your area that work for the person in your care.