As people enter their golden years, it’s common to require some level of care whether it is on an occasional, part-time basis or on an everyday, full-time basis. This can especially be the case for elderly individuals who have chosen to age at home. Some seniors are fortunate enough to receive the care they need from a family member who acts as their informal caregiver.
Family caregivers are great because of the familiarity and comfort they have with their loved ones. However, it is tough to be a caregiver.
Many family caregivers have their own family to care for and their jobs outside of caregiving. They often use their free time to be a caregiver, tending to their elderly loved one’s needs. From preparing meals to assisting with personal hygiene to providing transportation, caregivers do a lot. It can quickly become overwhelming, but family caregivers may hesitate to take a break or go on vacation out of feeling guilty. They may feel obligated to care for the elderly relatives.
It’s important that family caregivers take time off. No caregiver can provide effective assistance if they are stressed, tired, and/or burned out. Trying to do so only makes it harder to provide the necessary and compassionate care for your loved one.
A family caregiver might also feel unsure about taking time off, because there might be no one else to help their loved one. This is why Respite Care services exist and should be utilized by family caregivers.
The following explains the importance and benefits of Respite Care.
Respite care provides a professional caregiver for your loved one
One of the biggest concerns a family caregiver may have when considering time off is about who will provide their loved one with care. They might be the only person in the family willing and/or able to provide the necessary care, which may be why they are the family caregiver.
With in-home Respite Care services, individuals are provided with a professional caregiver who is qualified and trained to provide all of the necessary care and assistance: activities of daily living, companionship, meal preparation, transportation, and more. So not only will your loved one have someone available to help them, but this person will be a licensed and trained caregiver. If your loved one has a particular condition that requires special care (e.g. dementia), then there are respite caregivers who can meet your loved one’s unique care needs.
Respite care provides an opportunity to go on vacation
If you are a family caregiver, then chances are you use most,if not all, of your free and vacation time to provide your loved one with care. You use your time to help them at home, take them to appointments, run errands, and more. This usually means you don’t have time to get away and take a vacation. However, with help from Respite Care, a vacation is possible.
You can hire a respite caregiver to cover the length of your vacation, whether it’s a short trip or an extended visit, allowing you to go elsewhere while your loved one still gets their care.
Respite Care provides time to relax
You don’t need to go on vacation to utilize in-home Respite Care services. If you simply need a break from being a family caregiver, then Respite Care services are a great fit. You can use the time away to just relax whether that’s in the comfort of your own home, spending time with your family, or in a tropical setting, soaking in the warmth and sun. In fact, respite care can be done on a short-term basis or a long-term basis depending on your needs.
The time Respite Care provides family caregivers to relax is one of the most important and greatest benefits of the service. This is because Respite Care allows family caregivers to get away from the demanding environment of caregiving. It’s easy to become overwhelmed and stressed, which can take a toll on their mental and physical health. Respite Care lets family caregivers unwind and return to their caregiving duties reenergized with a refreshed mind.
Respite care provides a chance to handle personal matters
Family caregivers have their own lives and often their own families, too. This means they have personal matters to attend to. However, as the family caregiver, they might not have the time to take care of such affairs, so they keep piling up. With Respite Care, you can use your time to go to your own appointments, clean your home, run errands, and more.
Professional In-Home Respite Care from Assisting Hands
If you are a family caregiver to a loved one and could use a break, then Respite Care services are for you.
Assisting Hands Home Care Richmond offers Respite Care services to provide support and assistance to family caregivers in Richmond, VA, and the neighboring communities. We will have a professional caregiver come at scheduled times to take over caregiving services for your loved one. This ensures that your loved one continue to receive the care they need while family caregivers are away. Whether you want to go on vacation, relax at home, or have more time for yourself, Respite Care services give you the time for just that.
In order to provide the family and their loved ones with flexibility, Assisting Hands can staff shifts as short as one hour to providing 24/7 care. Assisting Hands Richmond has no shift minimums.
All of Assisting Hands Home Care Richmond Caregivers are licensed, trained, insured and bonded so that you have the confidence of knowing that your loved one are being taken care of by professionals.
Additionally, Assisting Hands Richmond utilizes mobile technology to track their Caregivers visits to the client’s home. Through this technology not only will the family be able to verify the precise time the Caregivers were providing care they will also be able to confirm that the Caregiver was following the Plan of Care established by the family and Assisting Hands. The family can access this information remotely from their own mobile device.
Call Assisting Hands Richmond today at (804) 500-9787 to schedule your FREE in-home consultation so that we can help you provide the expert compassionate care for your loved one while you are getting the break that you deserve.
