Read about how respite care can help you as a family caregiver to maintain your own health and well-being while still ensuring your loved one is looked after.
1 in 10 people in the UK are family caregivers and that number continues to rise and around 3 out of 5 people will be caregivers at some point in their lives.
The role of a caregiver is rewarding because it means that a family member in need is being cared for and loved to the very highest standard. However, the role is often unplanned and more often than not, the extreme responsibility and challenges associated with caregiving can be difficult for anybody to deal with, no matter how physically and emotionally strong they are.
Everybody has a unique caregiving scenario, but for most people, it is a challenging position to hold and some of the most common challenges are:
- Having a life separate to your caregiver role i.e.
being a mum or being a husband or wife - The huge physical strain involved in physically caring
for a person - Coping with the emotional challenges of switching care
roles with a parent - Dealing with aggressive or hostile behaviour from a
family member with dementia or similar problems - Holding down a job and a care role
- Struggling with feelings of anger, resentment, guilt or
bitterness over your life before caregiving
This is just the tip of the iceberg, as family caregiving is very complex for each and every carer. The problem is, when these issues are not prevented or dealt with to some degree, they can all add up and cause something called burnout.
Burnout is total emotional and physical exhaustion. This is dangerous for both carer and the person receiving care so it is important to avoid where possible. A coffee every week with a friend, help from friends and family, a long bath, staying healthy – lots of little things can help prevent burnout. Another key way to avoid burnout is respite care.
Respite care is where for a few hours, a day, a weekend or even weeks at a time a qualified carer will come and care for your loved one giving you some rest from your role. You may not have to pay for respite care if you qualify for help with the NHS, but you can, of course, pay for respite care privately if you want to.
Providing round the clock care for someone can be difficult at times, especially if you are the only caregiver. Nobody said it would be easy and sometimes, if things start to get on top of you it’s important to take a break.
This is where respite care can step in.
What is Respite Care?
A respite care service, where a professional, fully qualified carer takes over, is there to enable you to take a temporary break from caring. The form it takes will depend on your needs and the needs of the person receiving care. It could be for a day, a week or longer and could be a ‘one-off’ event or regular.
Who is Respite Care Best Suited For?
It suits family caregivers who may be feeling stressed and exhausted or on the verge of feeling burned out. It’s a good option for caregivers – who can be family or friends, or professional carers – who need to take a holiday, or who need to travel away for whatever reason.
What Happens in Respite Care?
There are several types of respite care available. This ranges from:
- Adult day care, where someone can attend for a few hours or a few days a week to enjoy social activities.
- Residential respite care, which offers a temporary stay in a residential care home. This often needs to be booked in advance through a local authority, local GP or charity.
- In-home respite care offers temporary care within the home and is often the best option for those who may have medical conditions which need constant monitoring. This can be tailored to the needs of the person requiring care.
You could arrange for home care or live-in care depending on how many hours per week care is needed for. To provide continuity and reassurance for the person needing care it is possible in many cases for them to transition to home care with the same carer they are used to.
Who Uses Respite Care?
Caregivers who are feeling the strain of caring or who need a break for other reasons. A professional live-in carer may need to take annual leave. People who receive care and who may have health conditions which they can’t manage without help such as dementia or mobility issues or who need constant companionship.
What is Another Name for Respite Care?
It is also referred to as short-term assisted living or short-term residential care. Whichever term it goes by, respite care is something by which caregivers can safely take a break, knowing their loved one’s care is uninterrupted.
Arranging Respite Care
Arranging respite care that is paid for is a lengthier process than arranging it privately. To arrange it through the NHS you will need a care assessment and to set up the process properly. This may take some time to arrange but will be worth it when it is in place.
Arranging it privately can be extremely quick, and can be arranged within 24 hours in some cases. You just need to contact a reputable agency who will send out a live-in carer to help you. These respite carer roles are fulfilled by staff who have experience and training and so are qualified to provide care to your loved one.
Can Respite Care Become Permanent?
In some cases, where a person receiving care has medical issues such as dementia it can often be the case that temporary care can become permanent. Many people find that they have more interaction with respite care-givers or feel greater confidence knowing that permanent carers are on hand to deal with any issues.
If this is the case, you may have to decide whether to look at residential care home options or permanent live-in care, which can be the best way to provide security and continuity for all concerned.
Live-in Care Long Term
If you feel respite care isn’t enough and you would like help full time, or even a qualified live-in carer to take over the role from a family caregiver, then long-term live-in care is something to consider. There is nothing wrong with admitting you need help, and it is so important to be honest about your situation for your loved one’s wellbeing, and your own health.
