Respite Care

For caregivers who are feeling overwhelmed, need to attend to their own obligations, or simply want to relax, respite care can provide great relief.  Three important things to consider:

1. Forms of Respite Care

Respite care comes in all shapes and sizes.  Respite facilities will take care of a loved one for as short as a few hours to as long as a few weeks.  These different settings can be adult day care, skilled nursing, or home health facility, and in-home care is also an option.  In adult day care programs, the facility will provide supervision during the day while you go to work or attend to other duties.  For in-home programs, depending on your loved one's needs, paid caregivers can provide services such as housekeeping, meal preparation, help with bathing or other activities of daily living, or even skilled care such as medication management.

2. Payment

The cost of different respite care services vary, but federal and/or state programs can help pay for it.  Additionally, many long-term care insurance companies help cover the cost of respite care.  To find out more about payment, you can contact your local area agency on aging.

3. Ensuring Quality Care

Firstly, when looking at respite care program, you should make sure that it is licensed by the state and that the caregivers it employs are properly qualified, i.e. have background checks and experience with caregiving.  A few pertinent questions to ask:

Are families limited to a certain number of hours for services needed?
Does the program keep an active file on the senior’s medical condition and other needs?
How are the caregivers screened for their jobs?
How are the caregivers supervised and evaluated?
How much does the respite care cost? What is included in the fee?
How do the caregivers handle emergencies?

So remember, if you are feeling overwhelmed as a caregiver, you can always call a respite care program to help.